SNCC 60th

...were killed by a white mob after being handed to them by law enforcement officials in 1964; and the political shift by the Southern Democratic Party, once dominated by segregationists and white supremacists, to a Republican Party now dominated by those same forces.

We want to stress again that while the police and vigilante killings take place in different cities, committed by different actors, their patterns and practice evolve from the same rationale.

In the United States, Black people, whether armed or unarmed, are viewed as a dangerous threat by some in the white community.

However, Black lives do matter. That is unquestionable. As LA Clipper’s Coach Doc Rivers said: “All you hear is Donald Trump and all of them talk about fear.  We’re the ones getting killed.  We’re the ones getting shot.”

In our 60 years of struggle, we have learned that the Black community, through collective and determined actions, has been able to mitigate elements of white supremacy.

Working with allies — through campaigns, such as the sit-ins, Freedom Rides, voter registration drives in the Southern United States, litigation, and the determination of local Black Mississippi leaders, including sharecroppers, to impact the Democratic Party —

the Black community was able to fight against white supremacy. If we are to live as full citizens in America, the Black community and its allies must now redouble its collective and determined actions.

Like those committed athletes and Black Lives demonstrators, we must organize against the advocates of white supremacy. As John Lewis, former chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) demanded of us: “if you see something, say something.”