SOMERVILLE, MASS. (WHDH) - As people continue to demand justice, freedom and police reform across the country, several community leaders in Mass. came together for a panel talk on structural racism Tuesday.
Those involved said they hope that by working hand-in-hand, they can lead others to fight for equality.
“I don’t need your thoughts and prayers, what I need is action,” Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer said. “I want you to use your power and your privilege as white people to help move the needle forward and not be afraid of that.”
These elected officials and community leaders discussed the meaning of structural racism in an online panel event hosted by the city of Somerville.
“And that’s from the original and the bondage of slavery to unequal access to the GI Bill, to Jim crow… to the war on drugs… to redlining,” U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley said. “How are you dealing with this revolt against the criminal justice system?”
7NEWS’ Byron Barnett moderated the discussion, during which, the panelists talked about one of the symptoms of the illness of structural racism — the criminal justice system that has now under fire.
“If police stopped interacting with poor black and brown communities for low-level, nonserious crimes, which can escalate in an instant, George Floyd would still be alive today,” Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins said.
Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone, who recently declared racism a public health and safety emergency, said he believes white Americans who want to be allies can no longer be silent.
“And I’ll say to all of you and all of those listening who are black or brown, I am sorry and I need to do better by you and as a white ally that’s what I need to commit myself to,” he said.
Somerville High School graduate and activist Floreisha Bastine talked about how young people are now committed to engaging in the struggle.
“I’m black. I experience stuff. And especially, I’m a black woman. I have experiences that you cannot relate to and things. Like, we’re not going to be, like, sit down and be OK about it,” she said. “We’re going to fight about it and do things that we need to in order to make changes.”
The consensus of the panel was that this is not just a moment, it’s a movement and that the needle of societal change will be moved forward.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)