With the latest public lynching circling headlines you may have heard the story of Jacob Blake, Black father from Kenosha, Wisconsin, shot 8 times in the back by an officer on Sunday, August 23rd. After being called to help break up a domestic dispute, the police shot him in the back in front of his children. His name is one of too many and the story of excessive state sanctioned violence that has plagued our nation for far too long.

The past 3 nights in Kenosha has seen an uprising against police violence similar to those that have spread across the country since the May 25th slaying of George Floyd and in the decades preceding this . While most of the protesting has been done peacefully, this week we saw the death of two people protesting against inequality and supporting Black Lives. One of the victims was revealed to be Anthony Huber, leaving behind a child and girlfriend. The other victims identity is not known at this time.

Their murderer's name is Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17 year old member of a local militia who considered himself a collaborator with local PD- who drove 30 miles with a long rifle to the protest with the sole purpose of causing harm to people. In videos of the night Kyle can be seen mingling with the police, thanking Kyle and the militia for being there. Offering him water. His Facebook account had many pro-police thin blue lines symbols appropriated not to “show appreciation” but rather as an ignorant moniker in which people sow division and deny the proven systemic experience and culture of violence plaguing a brutal system by design.

We have decided to gather Sunday to hold space to mourn the dead, the injured, the children who have witnessed these brutalities and will forever be changed. We will stand together to represent how we intend to rise above this hate and march forward to a better future.

We are stronger together .