Last Updated on February 5, 2023 by BVN
Asante-Ra |
The Essie Justice Group (EJG) mourns the loss of Tyre Nichols, whose life was taken due to a deadly police traffic stop by five Black police officers in Memphis, TN on January 7. These acts of violence, rooted in gendered and racial oppression, continue to claim the lives of Black individuals.
Recent tragedies, including the deaths of Tyre Nichols and 31-year-old Keenan Anderson, killed by Los Angeles Police Department officers on January 13, serve as reminders that policing and punitive policies are a threat to the safety of Black individuals. It is only through community-based safety, not systems of violence, that Black individuals like Sandra Bland, Philando Castillo, Keenan Anderson, and Tyre Nichols, will be protected, EJG noted in a recent press statement.
“This is a reminder that despite changes in political leadership at some of the highest levels, the reformist approaches that continue to move resources and training in the direction of police doesn’t work,” says Gina Clayton-Johnson, founder and executive director of Essie Justice Group. “In a world led by the policies born from Black communities, Tyre and Keenan would still be alive.”
EJG stands in solidarity with the Movement for Black Lives’ BREATHE Act and Vision for Black Lives, which call for an end to the nation’s mass incarceration policies and the implementation of true public safety solutions for Black communities.
The group remains committed to supporting women who have lost loved ones at the hands of police and corrections officers, and through the violent, punitive systems within society, through providing its healing and connection programs. The organization will continue to build power among Black women to dismantle the systems that result in these tragic deaths.
Data supports the need to redirect tax dollars away from the police to enforce traffic laws. Essie Justice Group joins the calls to end police-conducted traffic stops.
The Essie Justice Group is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting women with incarcerated loved ones and building power among Black women to dismantle systems that result in these needless losses. Follow this link to learn more about the organization and its work.