Solidarity With Ferguson: Take Local Action on Labor Day!

After hearing about Ferguson's police murder of Michael Brown Migrant Justice farmworker organizer Kike Balcazar reflected, "As a young person of color and human being I feel both angry and threatened. When will this world recognize that we are human beings and that we are sisters and brothers? The broken systems of our society have created poisonous ideologies in our communities. We have to unite together to change this if we are ever to live in peace and harmony."

So, what can we do in solidarity with Ferguson? Follow these links for more:

What can we do here in Vermont to keep organizing and working to stop police violence, brutality, and instutionalized racism? 

You may remember that this May, in collaboration with racial justice groups across the state, farmworkers fought to pass a new bias-free policing policy in Vermont! Passing a policy is one thing but how do we actually change the culture of institutionalized racism in policing?  How do we change the culture of white supremacy that offers fertile soil for more Ferguson's across the country? 

We need to dig in where we live and work in our communities to hold accountable our police to ensure that they are, in fact, under democratic community control. 

TAKE LOCAL ACTION IN SOLIDARITY WITH FERGUSON:

Edit and personalize this letter and email or mail it to your local town or city police (and ideally also your county police and your regional office or State Police.) (List of agencies here: http://vcjtc.vermont.gov/contact_info)

On Sept 1st for Labor Day gather together with a group of friends, neighbors (or go alone if you have to!) and drop in at your local town or city police (and ideally your county police and your regional office of State Police) and ask to speak to the officer in charge and hand deliver a personalized copy of the letter  and ask for when and from whom you can get a response from the Police to the letter (see letter to understand what we are asking them to do)

TELL us if you took action by sending a detailed update about your interactions and about how the police leadership respond to your questions and requests at info@migrantjustice.net