Honoring the life of George Floyd

"for all victims of the terrible injustice which puts men and women to death without form of law. During the year 1894, there were 132 persons executed in the United States by due form of law, while in the same year, 197 persons were put to death by mobs who gave the victims no opportunity to make a lawful defense” 
― Ida B. Wells-Barnett

Dear Cypress Family,

In occupied Minneapolis, organizers, community members, and families are gathered and waiting for the response of a trial we have seen time and time again for a verdict that could never truly bring justice. Over the last few weeks, we have seen the occupation of public streets increase in response to justified grieving and discontentment at the consistent murder of Black people by the police. At this moment, we are reminded of the work of scholar and journalist, Ida B Wells, who wrote actively about the injustices of the U.S. Criminal justice system and the need for Black communities, in particular, to create safety and healing for ourselves in the 1800s. We often wonder what she would say about the state we currently live in and how she would advise us to move forward to keep each other safe, well, and alive. 

Today, we stand in solidarity and grief as a team of Black women, whose father, brothers, sons, uncles, friends, and partners could easily have been George Floyd. We know that there is no justice this unjust system could ever provide for families like Floyd’s or our own. We understand that our grief is collective and moves like waves over us as we honor the many Black people lost at the hands of white supremacy.  As we continue to build towards our long-term vision for Black Liberation and Indigenous Sovereignty, we are grateful for partners who continue to organize for a different future for Floyd’s family and our own.  Over the next few weeks, we will be rolling out continued programming that will center healing spaces for Black organizers and listen to communities across the Carolinas as they share what is needed for us to continue to move toward collective liberation.

Healing justice is an active practice that we work to embody for our staff, grantees, and donors. Cypress will be taking a day of mourning tomorrow to give us space to grieve and care for ourselves as we deal with the current state of events. If you can, we encourage you to do the same. There is nothing normal about the state of the county. There is nothing okay about the lack of justice for our communities. In order to continue the fight, we must grieve. We must rest. We must organize. And if all else fails, we must find joy.  

As always, we are grateful to be in community with you and yours and are holding space for your families as we hold space for our own.