Racial Justice Organization Advancement Project Responds to President Biden’s State of the Union Address
WASHINGTON, DC – In reaction to the State of the Union, Judith Browne Dianis, Executive Director of Advancement Project, a national racial justice organization, issued this statement:
“Tonight’s State of the Union, held just weeks after the killing of Tyre Nichols, did little to address the core problems inherent in policing.
“While President Biden acknowledged the pain and grief of families like the parents of Tyre Nichols, his administration’s efforts to put more money and resources into policing will only result in more murders of Black people by the hands of police. This will not bring justice to Tyre Nichols nor the millions of families that fear for their loved ones every time they interact with the police.
“There is no justice in the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which President Biden supports. There cannot be accountability, transparency, or public trust in our policing system when policing itself is founded on white supremacy. Likewise, the Safer America Act increases the number of police officers in communities. We cannot continue with a police-only model of public safety.
“We are beyond plans that refuse to address the root causes of police violence. The only way to stop police violence is to make significant public investments in people–not police. Our taxes should go to institutions that will protect us, instead of pouring more money into bloated police budgets. There is no amount of training that will prevent police killings. President Biden must work to take federal officers out of traffic stops and provide incentives for local police departments to do the same.
“Simultaneously, President Biden must call on Congress to pass BREATHE Act-aligned legislation that focuses on investing in communities to meet the needs of people, including things like community-based violence intervention programs, mental health support and housing.
“We ask nothing less from our nation’s leader than bold and transformational change — a complete reimagination of public safety, not another failed stop-gap. Our communities deserve courageous solutions that get at the root of the problem of policing without criminalizing people of color.”
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Advancement Project is a next-generation, multi-racial civil rights organization. Rooted in the great human rights struggles for equality and justice, they exist to fulfill America’s promise of a caring, inclusive, and just democracy. They use innovative tools and strategies to strengthen social movements and achieve high-impact policy change. Learn more about Advancement Project here.
