President Obama issued the following statement on the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.:
"The death of Michael Brown is heartbreaking, and Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to his family and his community at this very difficult time. As Attorney General Holder has indicated, the Department of Justice is investigating the situation along with local officials, and they will continue to direct resources to the case as needed. I know the events of the past few days have prompted strong passions, but as details unfold, I urge everyone in Ferguson, Missouri, and across the country, to remember this young man through reflection and understanding. We should comfort each other and talk with one another in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds. Along with our prayers, that's what Michael and his family, and our broader American community, deserve."
The LGBT Missouri group PROMO, Promoting Equality for All Missourians, issued a brief statement: "Our thoughts are with the Brown family. Our thoughts are with Ferguson. Our thoughts are with St. Louis. Our hearts are heavy."
Also Aug. 12, the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights and advocacy organizations penned an open letter of solidarity in response to the tragic death of Michael Brown, an unarmed Black teenager who was shot and killed Saturday by a police officer in suburban St. Louis. Additional details surrounding the shooting are scarce, and the police officials have not provided information as to why the officer shot Brown, or why lethal force was used.
The letter in its entirety, including a list of the organizations that signed on, can be found below and online here: hrc-assets.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com//files/assets/resources/LGBT_Letter_Michael_Brown.pdf .
"When communities experience fear, harassment and brutality simply because of who they are or how they look, we are failing as a nation. In light of the recent events in Missouri, it is clearer than ever that there is something profoundly wrong in our country.
"The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community cannot be silent at this moment, because LGBT people come from all races, creeds, faiths and backgrounds, and because all movements of equality are deeply connected. We are all part of the fabric of this nation and the promise of liberty and justice for all is yet to be fulfilled.
"The LGBT community stands with the family of Michael Brown, who was gunned down in Ferguson, Missouri. We stand with the mothers and fathers of young Black men and women who fear for the safety of their children each time they leave their homes. We call on the national and local media to be responsible and steadfast in their coverage of this story and others like it—racialized killings that have marred this nation since the beginning of its history. We call on policy makers on all levels of American government not to shrink from action, and we are deeply grateful to Attorney General Eric Holder and the Department of Justice for their immediate commitment to a thorough investigation.
"At this moment, we are inspired by the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: 'In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies … but the silence of our friends.'"
ACLU
Center for Black Equity, Inc.
Equality Federation
Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD)
GMHC
Human Rights Campaign
National Black Justice Coalition
National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR)
National Center for Transgender Equality
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
National Minority AIDS Council
National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA)
PFLAG National
Pride at Work, AFL-CIO
Soulforce
Southerners on New Ground (SONG)
United AIDS
About the Black Youth Project 100 responds to deaths of four Black men killed by police officers
In the past two weeks, police officers have strangled, shot and killed four, unarmed Black men. We honor the lives of Eric Garner, John Crawford, Michael Brown and Ezell Ford; and mourn with those who love them.
As we grieve the loss of our brothers, we also mourn the life of Renisha McBride and grieve over the brutal beatings of Marlene Pinnock and Ersula Ore. Despite the lack of media attention, we know our sisters are also brutalized and murdered at the hands of police officers and vigilantes too.
In the aftermath of yet another series of slaughters, we have been asked to accept the unacceptable expectations of a society that has never loved us. Are we to sit quietly and see our own sisters' and brothers' bodies rotting in the streets? Should we be expected to continue to struggle to identify our family members by their socks or jewelry because there are too many bullet holes in their faces?
Regardless of education level, style of dress, romantic partner or circle of friends, Black people in the United States are the targets of a system that supports merciless police officers, willing to spill our innards on street corners. They face no consequences in a 'criminal injustice' system. There is no recourse because Black people, especially poor Black people, are all too often seen as sub-human.
Beyond our current frustration and anger, our memory hums as our ancestors call out to us. We will redeem their suffering through collective work for liberation. Stoicism, respectability politics and piecemeal measures of progress are not working. Our tearful pleas and desperate cries have gone unheard.
Since 1619, this white supremacist and patriarchal society has devalued and demonized Black bodies in order to justify the forests of hatred and greed they have planted over every square inch of this land. While police officers, judges, and juries continue to nurture these vile gardens, we choose to create a new path. Patience and properness have their place, and their place is in the past. We reject sanitized portrayals of Black liberators which are used to manipulate us into apathy and inaction.
We recognize that American media, law enforcement and 'criminal injustice' systems do not recognize Black people as humans worthy of respect and dignity. Investigations continue to arrive at the same conclusions — the victim is guilty. With this statement and our actions, we rebuke their opinions, analysis, and their critiques of our chosen methods and strategies to achieve our liberation. With this statement we affirm the value of all Black lives, especially our brothers and sisters in Ferguson, MO who are being referred to as 'animals' 'thugs' and 'niggers' by those sworn to protect them.
We are resolute in our desire to build a new world for all of us. We are organizing and taking direct action on the ground. We are committed to working with organizations who share our values, and will continue to organize. Now, we need to hear from you. Our stories are powerful tools that when used effectively can bring about the conditions for our liberation. We ask Black people between the ages of 13 and 35 to submit 1-3 minute videos describing how you have been profiled, abused or violated by the police. Click to learn more and submit your video.
We ask you to crowd every street corner, bus stop and block with your stories. We ask you to love and protect each other. We ask you to raise your voices so that even Eric, Mike, John, Ezell and Renisha may hear.
#BlackLivesMatter,
BYP100
We Ready, We Comin'
www.byp100.org .
Lambda Legal Mourns the Loss of Michael Brown and Urges Swift Action
(New York, Thursday, August 14, 2014) - As people across the country gather for a National Moment of Silence for victims of police brutality tonight, Lambda Legal released the following statement from Executive Director, Kevin Cathcart:
"Our nation has witnessed another tragic death of an unarmed black teenager, shot by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri on Saturday night. We mourn the loss of Michael Brown and offer condolences and strength to his family and loved ones.
"As an organization representing all LGBT people and people living with HIV, we are members of communities historically targeted by police. We know too well the harm caused by bias, profiling and stereotyping by law enforcement agencies and indeed by society has a whole.
"The situation in Ferguson has grown worse since the shooting, with police intimidation of protest, more violence and arrests. We call on the public officials in this town to disclose the information the community deserves to know, and we call on the Department of Justice to complete a thorough investigation and take swift action.
"We stand together for fair and safe communities, unbiased policing and justice. We urge people across the country to stand together tonight for a National Moment of Silence for victims of police brutality."
