As an organization dedicated to teaching the history of genocide and its prevention, The Genocide Education Project is keenly aware of the dangers posed and damage wrought by the type of systemic racism which resulted in the murder of George Floyd and so many others.
We strongly support the current popular movement to counter institutionalized racism in the United States. Taking a page from our teaching resources on human rights, we recognize the pernicious nature of the stages of genocide. We know that one of the most effective ways to reverse their progression is by cultivating a robust democracy, which inherently protects against the targeting of people based on ethnicity, color, gender, faith, or any other trait.
For many in the United States, democracy has been a distant dream—living as second-class citizens, victimized by longstanding racist social policies, despite efforts for reform. The preservation of basic human rights and democracy, especially in the face of governmental threats of military action, depends on our active engagement to reject those policies. As an essential component of building democracy, we must ALL take a stand against the hate and violence directed toward our families, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and fellow humans.
To honor Floyd and the countless others who have suffered as a result of institutionalized racism, we ask you to voice your opposition to all forms of discrimination that hinder a healthy democratic society.
The current crisis also exemplifies the importance of highlighting to our students and children the ramifications of a divided society and effective means to bring about positive change. It’s our responsibility to ensure our youth have the knowledge and tools to create a nation that we can all be proud to call home.
