#SayTheirNames
“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
James Baldwin
2020 will forever be remembered by history as a challenging year for our country and the world. We started the year invigorated by the power of the student vote that could determine the future of our democracy in the upcoming Presidential Election. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States we found ourselves not only fighting for our right to vote but our literal lives. But there is another pandemic that continues to sweep our country, the growing threat of white supremacy and white nationalism in the United States.
George Floyd.
Breonna Taylor.
Ahmaud Arbery.
Sean Reed.
Tony McDade.
These are just a few Black Americans who have been murdered recently due to systemic racism in America. In the midst of all the uncertainty, we watch in horror as these viruses continue to oppress and dehumanize Black lives and communities. No one should ever have to live in fear of losing their lives because of the color of their skin.
This ugly demonstration of hate should trouble all of us. That’s why we cannot sit idly by while Black Americans are being shot in their homes or lynched in broad daylight. The only way to fight racism is to call it out, condemn it, and confront it.
The Andrew Goodman Foundation exists to live the legacy of Andrew Goodman, a white 20-year-old college student who lost his life confronting racism and defending the voting rights of his fellow Americans. He traveled to Mississippi and joined a coalition of one thousand volunteers—Black and white, young and old, Christian and Jewish. The Freedom Summer Project of 1964, was powered by one simple, but powerful idea that still resonates today, that Black Lives Matter.
Join us today to honor George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Sean Reed, and Tony McDade’s legacies by taking a stand against injustice and hate. We believe that by working together we can find a way to protect human dignity and bring about the change that we want to see. Here are a few simple ways you can make a difference.
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Check in
Check in on your Black friends, family members, co-workers, classmates, and neighbors. Be willing to listen while acknowledging that while you are also affected, the conversation is not about you
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Learn
Take ownership of this struggle. Use existing resources to learn more about systemic racism and oppression in America. We recommend starting with the following:
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Speak up
Condemn racism. Live the AGF legacy by standing up for your values and calling out things that are wrong even when it’s uncomfortable.
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Vote
Change happens at the ballot box. Support candidates and policies that align with your values, who advance issues that promote Racial Justice and Criminal Justice Reform.
