Statement by Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio
June 3, 2020
Tracy Najera, Executive Director
Too many young men and women of color have lost their lives as a result of police violence. Our children are watching and listening in this moment. What will our response be to injustice? We say, “No more.”
The Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio stands with Black Lives Matter and Coalitions that are partners to create a more equitable society for all – especially those who have been blocked from full participation in community life and opportunity by the pervasiveness of systemic racism. We believe in a future where our children are safe from violence, have their basic needs met, and are surrounded by caring adults and community.
As a civil rights organization that has been on the front-lines of child advocacy for 40 years in Ohio, we are the voice for children who have no vote, no lobbyist, and no power and we stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters and raise our voices in protest. We protest systems and conditions in our society where skin color predicts a child’s lot in life. We must all remember that these systems were created by people to perpetuate inequality. And we say, “No more.”
We will work every day, with every breath we take to dismantle these systems of oppression. We are committed to act boldly and in solidarity for justice and we will fight against racist policies in all of its forms. Our children are watching and listening and we shout, “No more!”