A letter to Sandra Johnson
Today I’m sending a letter to Sandra Johnson, the Bloomington City Attorney who has charged 11 people for protesting at the Mall of America last December. I wanted to share it with you here. Take a look, and join us in encouraging Ms. Johnson to drop the charges by sharing this with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter. Always feel free to get in touch and let me know what you think.
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March 5, 2015
Sandra Johnson, City Attorney
City of Bloomington
1800 West Old Shakopee Road
Bloomington, MN 55431-3027
Dear Ms. Johnson,
I ask that you to use your legal authority and moral responsibility to work toward racial justice and choose not prosecute the 11 members of #BlackLivesMatter who peacefully protested at the Mall of America on December 20, 2014.
The #BlackLivesMatter movement has done much to reveal the profound impacts of our nation’s racism. It is a forum where new and emerging community leaders all across the country, people who are most harmed by these structural inequities, have said the killing of black people by police must stop. It is also a space where white allies can stand in solidarity against these injustices. I am one of those white allies. I was also at the protest at the Mall of America.
Despite the profound impact of racial oppression on all of us, its causes and effects are not a topic of public discussion. It is not a subject on which the media reports, nor is it a common topic for conversation in our homes, places of work or worship. This is why #BlackLivesMatter has chosen the same path of peaceful assembly that crusaders for racial, social and economic justice have taken before them. Their thoughtful, deliberate and disciplined efforts are a reflection of their commitment to changing our society for the better. No public harm has been brought about by their actions. No public good is achieved by prosecuting and seeking restitution from these community leaders for their peaceful actions.
The paradox of racism in America is that we as white people often expect people of color to fix the systems that oppress them. In fact, it is on us as white people – like you and I – to understand the inherent biases in the systems we perpetuate and to work shoulder to shoulder with people of color to change these systems. You and I did not create the racial inequity that pervades our country. But in ways large and small we benefit from it. And in similar ways, our actions continue to perpetuate it. That is why we must act to end it. You must act to end racial inequality.
The decision to use your legal discretion not to prosecute these 11 community leaders and to work for racial justice are one in the same. The choice is yours and belongs to no one else.
Sincerely,
Dan McGrath
