"Certain conditions continue to exist in our society, which must be condemned as vigorously as we condemn riots. ... And as long as America postpones justice, we stand in the position of having these recurrences of violence and riots over and over again. Social justice and progress are the absolute guarantors of riot prevention." -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
George Floyd. Say his name. Breonna Taylor. Say her name. Say the name of every individual killed at the hand of police brutality who received no justice. We know their names and we must say them.
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In solidarity with 60,000 others at the Justice 4 George march.
Photo by Texas State Senator Carol Alvarado
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My heart cries for their families and loved ones. I stand in solidarity with protesters for justice across the nation.
I proudly marched with 60,000 fellow Houstonians on Tuesday because
Black Lives Matter. Although this movement has a different name, the demand for justice is a fight Black Americans have known for far too long. Protests come in all shapes and forms, from lunch counter sit-ins to nonviolent marches, where people were met with police, dogs and water hoses, to former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick taking a knee to marches across the globe. Demanding justice comes with a guaranteed response--resistance. Yet, the right to live freely is worth the risks.
"Justice too long delayed is justice denied," was a truth Dr. King included in his "Letter from the Birmingham Jail" after being arrested for his civil rights work in 1963. The protests and marches we see globally are the same cry: Justice cannot be delayed. It must happen now. To make this a reality, reform is needed.
Holding police accountable for these killings is important. But the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other victims are not simply due to rogue police violence
. The destruction of these lives is a
symptom of the much larger and expansive disease of systematic racism and oppression in our American justice system, and throughout our society, that needlessly and continuously destroys countless Black and Brown lives.
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| One of many protest signs at the march on Tuesday, June 2. |
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The solutions we need right now--both to protect our safety and to rescue our democracy--are ones that meet the scale of the problem. To respond to George Floyd's killing, or Breonna Taylor's killing, we must replace the questions about how to reform policing with questions about what role a discriminatory system of mass incarceration should play in a broader vision for safety and justice in America.
And that means our solutions must go far beyond just addressing police brutality. Meaningful change requires scrutiny of all disparities in our society and criminal justice system, and structural policy changes at every stage. We must re-imagine what justice means, and open our eyes to the ways that the justice system intersects with racism, classism, and other societal inequities, and chart a new path predicated on community well-being.
We must continue to make our voices heard - through protest, and
sustained action and commitment to changing these entrenched and systematic structures of oppression. We stand on the shoulders of generations before us who were willing to sacrifice to advance the cause of freedom and justice, and we have duty to pay it forward. Dr. King said, "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice." But that arc does not bend on its own. It takes each and every one of us to do our part.
These systems were created by people, and they can be changed by people.
As elected leaders, we can do better - and our communities deserve better. As your Commissioner, I pledge to do my part. In doing so, we will all be safer and healthier. Change is long overdue, but transformation is possible.
First and foremost, we need systematic change to our entire justice system.
We must:
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Dismantle the racist and oppressive
system of mass incarceration.
- Stop the criminalization of poverty and public health issues that have been intentionally utilized and indiscriminately used to oppress communities of color.
- Re-imagine what justice means, examine the ways that the justice system intersects with racism, classism and other societal inequities.
- Invest in systems of support to uplift communities, and create alternatives to arrests and incarceration for non-violent offenses, like drug possession, and for those suffering from mental illness.
- Eliminate use of cash bail that keeps people in jails just for being poor.
- Recognize that police violence against people of color is only one facet of mass incarceration and the deeply entrenched racial disparities within our justice system.
Secondly, we need real accountability from the system.
We must:
- Create an independent oversight board to hold the police accountable to the community.
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Grant the board subpoena power*, budgetary independence, and require that it must be transparent.
*subpoena power is crucial to holding the police accountable
We also need to address systems that allow police brutality to continue.
We must:
- Create policies that use minimum force to subdue people.
- Eliminate the choke-hold.
- Demand transparent standards for reporting, investigating, and disciplining officers who do not comply.
- Require other officers to intervene when fellow officers are using excessive force.
- Make publicly available all policies regarding officer-involved incidents, including the use of force policies.
- Discharge officers who should no longer be on the job due to excessive force.
The deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor come at a point where a global pandemic has precipitated the highest unemployment levels since the Great Depression, left tens of millions of Americans unable to pay rent or their mortgage, and exposed how a lack of universal health care jeopardizes public health and safety as a virus spreads through communities. As with the policing crisis and so many problems in our country, even this virus has punished Black and Brown communities more harshly.
Harris County Relief Fund:
Helping our Most Vulnerable Neighbors
If you turn to the Op-Ed section of today's Houston Chronicle, you'll see
my article
that outlines why our
community must help our most vulnerable neighbors
during this pandemic... and every day.
The sudden loss of jobs, wages, and childcare due to the pandemic has created an unprecedented economic crisis - especially for the most vulnerable in our community, who were already struggling when the pandemic struck.
By passing one of the boldest and most progressive public relief funds in the country, the Harris County COVID-19 Relief Fund, those communities hardest hit by the pandemic will get much needed relief. The $30 million fund will help an estimated 20,000 low-income residents meet their most basic needs of food, shelter, childcare and medical costs.
There are thousands of our neighbors who did not meet the exclusionary and strict guidelines of the federal CARES Act funds or the pandemic unemployment assistance. When aid is restricted, our entire community is placed at greater risk. Those who serve our food, care for our children and clean our hotel rooms must decide between their health and their paycheck. Not only do those who work in the service industry have a greater chance of contracting the virus, but they are also unable to stay home when they are sick because paid sick leave is often not available.
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| Harris County COVID-19 Relief Fund |
In a few days, the first stage of the fund will provide financial relief to those who need it most by working with community-based organizations that have already identified residents in need.
The second stage of distribution will be through a public intake process in which everyone will have the opportunity to apply online or by phone. We are using a multilingual call center to accept and screen applicants. Since we expect to have more requests than funding, those who apply will then be randomly selected to benefit from the fund. A nonprofit will verify that selected applicants meet all eligibility requirements.
Although we won't be able to help everyone, all Harris County residents earning at or below 60% of the area median income can apply. However, to spread assistance as much as possible, individuals who received the City of Houston rental assistance will NOT be eligible.
Again, I want to thank County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Commissioner Adrian Garcia for voting in support of our much needed COVID Relief Fund.
