In Solidarity
“My God, what do we want? What does any human being want? Take away an accident of pigmentation of a thin layer of our outer skin and there is no difference between me and anyone else. All we want is for that trivial difference to make no difference.”
-Shirley Chisholm
Dear International Law Community,
As our country struggles with a pandemic pushing it to the brink of economic collapse, it is tragic and horrid that such violent racism dominates the United States in 2020. As many celebrate the founding of this nation, one might look at US history and aptly say, “it is par for the course.” Consistent with the evil of such racism plaguing our country for hundreds of years, these most recent incidents of police violence against the Black community are a flagrant violation of human rights. A flagrant violation occurring at about the 75th anniversary of the United Nations Charter’s conclusion. A charter drafted under US leadership and requiring cooperation “in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion.” We will not abide such hypocrisy. We will not stand idle while our country relapses into the savagery of its original sin: slavery and racism.
The International Law and Human Rights Journal (“ILHRJ”) fully supports and stands with the Association of Black Law Students (“ABLS”) in their call to action. We stand in solidarity with the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Black communities. We join all those calling for full accountability of the police and the individuals who have brutalized Black people for simply existing. As law students, we will equip ourselves with tools necessary to fight, advocate, and speak out for Black people throughout our careers. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves on, and use, our privilege to support and protect the most vulnerable in our society. To that end, please find resources and information on how you can help, attend upcoming events, and support the Black Lives Matter movement. These resources and information will be posted on our website and social media pages.
The ILHRJ urges the law school community to join us in standing with ABLS in advocating for justice and supporting the grassroots efforts that are providing direct services to those in need. We must confront this attack on our Black communities. We must answer the generational call to demand liberty and justice for all. Like the Civil Rights activists and lawyers before us, we must confront the reality that “until all of us are free, none of us are free.”
Yours in liberty and in struggle,
The International Law and Human Rights Journal