For immediate release.
Contact: Matthew Hardy – mhardy@cft.org

The murder of George Floyd by a police officer was an unspeakable act of violence, and our communities across the country are responding to his murder with understandable grief and rage.

But we know this is not an isolated incident. Black communities, especially men, are exhausted and terrified because of the omnipresent structural and institutional racism they experience every day that often leads to violence against them.

As a union of educators and classified professionals, our work includes taking action to dismantle the systems and structures that uphold anti-Black racism in our schools and our communities.

We must continue to show up and speak up in solidarity for Black lives and refuse to be distracted from the urgent need for us all to work for racial justice every day. This work of anti-racism is for all of us – as individuals, as a union, in our schools, and across society – and we must remain fully committed to it until our vision of a just society is realized. 

This is a time to be angry and demand justice. This is a time to demand change. This is not a time to look away. We honor these lives lost by pledging to do our part to dismantle systemic racism. We say their names:  #JusticeforGeorgeFloyd #JusticeforAhmaudArbery #JusticeforBreonnaTaylor #BlackLivesMatter.

The California Federation of Teachers represents 120,000 teachers, faculty, and school employees in public and private schools and colleges, from early childhood through higher education. It is the statewide affiliate of the AFT. More information at www.cft.org.

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