Pace e Bene Statement on the Execution of George Floyd –
And the Growing Movement for an Anti-Racist Nation

The murder of George Floyd has, once again, exposed our country’s deep sin of racism.  How long will we let police brutality and racist, state-sanctioned violence continue? 

People have poured into the streets in 140 cites and towns demanding, this time, that we finally end the regime of police brutality and racist, state-sanctioned violence, once and for all.

In spite of everything, including massive police provocation and attacks and some violence, many of the demonstrations this week have been peaceful but determined: determined to remove the knee of injustice from the necks of African Americans; determined to name the terrorism that African Americans have faced on this continent for four centuries; determined to end policing practices that are a dragnet for mass incarceration; determined to join with our sisters and brothers everywhere to transform a country where millions of people of color do not feel safe in their neighborhoods and even their homes;  determined to come together from coast-to-coast to build a powerful, anti-racist movement; and determined to initiate a process of reweaving the very fabric of our nation.

Now is the time to listen, to see, and to support.  Now is the time to commit ourselves to the long-haul work of building anti-racist lives, communities, and societies.  Now is the time to commit to building a nonviolent but determined movement commensurate with the pain and suffering inflicted everyday by racism.

When everyone in our nation has access to a safe place to live, healthy food on their plates, healthcare for all, a job that pays a living wage, clean air and water, and freedom from the fear of police violence, then we can let up.  But, for now, we have a long way to go.

Pace e Bene longs for a culture of active nonviolence free from racism, war, poverty, environmental destruction.  We are committed to being allies in this long-term struggle. 

We are also committed to continue our work of nonviolence training and mobilizing nonviolent action.  Over the past two months, during the COVID pandemic, over one hundred people have deepened their vision and skills by taking in-depth nonviolence training with Pace e Bene online.  More online trainings are planned through the summer, which you can see here on our events page.  If you've been trained, bring nonviolence into your own community by training others using our latest study guide, Engaging Nonviolence.  And please sign up for action during the September 19-27 Campaign Nonviolence Action Week.  

Together we can take determined, long haul, nonviolent action to challenge systemic racism across this country.