The Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass declares its outrage at the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
We stand in solidarity with the Black community that has for far too long been targeted by police and suffered rampant racism and unfair and uneven applications of the law. As an organization committed to fighting all forms of hate, we know that these brutal deaths follow an explosion of racist murders and hate crimes across the U.S. As a Jewish Federation that has stood for justice and fair treatment since our establishment, we know that this occurred at a time when communities of color have been reeling from the disproportionate health impacts and economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.
We call upon our government and law enforcement at the national, state, and local levels to fully investigate and hold accountable all the involved officers in Minneapolis and Louisville, and to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.
We call upon our government and law enforcement agencies at every level to institute sweeping reforms in law enforcement and the criminal justice system.
We support our Constitution’s First Amendment right of freedom of assembly and of peaceful protest that allow aggrieved citizens to advocate for their rights and fair treatment.
We commend the ongoing efforts of the Lexington Police Department to address these longstanding and systemic issues, even as we recognize that Lexington has more work to do.
We pledge to join forces with the Black community and other Americans to see through these changes to law enforcement, end systemic racism, and work for a more just American society.