Joint Statement of North American MenEngage Network and MenEngage Global Alliance

We, the members of the North American MenEngage Network and MenEngage Global Alliance, stand by and add our voices to the expressions of outrage and call for justice at the killing of George Floyd, an African American man, by a white police officer in Minneapolis, the United States on Monday May 25, 2020.

This is the latest in a long line of killings of unarmed African Americans by US police officers and members of the public, including Breonna Taylor (March 13, 2020), Ahmaud Arbery (February 23, 2020), Atatiana Jefferson (October 12, 2019) to name some of the recent ones. We condemn these killings and the systemic racism that continues to violate and oppress people of color every day in the United States and around the globe. We also acknowledge and condemn that African Americans are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of systemic racism.

MenEngage Alliance represents organizations and individuals in North America and from around the world, of diverse race, nationalities, gender and sexual identities, religious affiliations, and backgrounds, working together to advance gender justice, human rights and social justice. We recognize that the privileges of white supremacy and the privileges of male domination are deeply interconnected in the racist acts of these police officers and the systemic and institutional racism inherent in everyday lives of people, the justice system and authorities in the United States.

As people of color in MenEngage Alliance, we are angry, grieving, afraid, and emotionally exhausted by the daily challenge of navigating the systemic and institutionalized inequalities, injustices and hatred against us, and the search for spaces where we can enjoy our rights to safety, life and freedom.

As white people in MenEngage Alliance, we are horrified by the racist mindsets and actions of so many white people and the systems that privilege us at the cost of our fellow comrades with diverse skin colors and ethnicities.

Together we are outraged that the deaths of Black Americans and other people of color targeted because of their race have become shockingly routine. This must stop once and for all NOW.

As groups working for equality and justice, we will not be silent. We stand in solidarity with the ongoing work of the Black Lives Matter movement. We call for the highest levels of accountability for the individuals, police departments and judicial systems involved in Mr. Floyd’s killing, as well as numerous other Black Americans. We further demand that all police officers who resort to use of force be charged and convicted for the crimes committed, for all the cases.

We condemn the racist and incendiary statements made by the US President Donald J. Trump. We call on political, social and cultural leaders in the United States to acknowledge that this country has been built on centuries of exploitation of black and indigeneous people and boldly address the ongoing brutality of racism in this country and around the world.

Institutional and systemic racism is often present alongside and interlinked with misogyny, colonialism, capitalism, homophobia and transphobia, and many other forms and systems of hatred and oppressions. We call on our institutions to commit to sustained transformational change to root out discrimination and violence in our communities. We call on and support allies within these institutions who are speaking up, challenging institutional racism, and who are committing to long-term, sustainable change.

We commit to mobilizing our national, regional and global networks of organizers, policy makers, educators and activists to confront racism in ourselves, our organizations and our communities, and to building anti-racist communities and institutions where all people are equal and free.

We call upon everyone to stand against racism, hate and brutality in all its forms, and to work for justice, love and solidarity!

We further encourage you to read this article written by our member, Board member of NAMEN, and global leader Tonya Lovelace, Can We Breathe? The Politics of Breath in COVID-19 and the Carceral State

Statement as posted with Global MenEngage Alliance, including Spanish language version.