Gender Justice Statement On The Killing of Daunte Wright

Once again, the eyes of the nation are on Minnesota following the senseless killing of a Black man, Daunte Wright, by law enforcement. And once again, we are angry and heartbroken at the unconscionable state-sanctioned violence — and the longstanding anti-Black racism that undergirds it.

We at Gender Justice stand in solidarity with the family of Daunte Wright, the community of Brooklyn Center, and everyone yearning for racial justice and accountability in this moment. It is time for Minnesota’s elected officials to show real leadership by not only naming the crisis of police violence against Black, brown, and Indigenous communities but also by taking concrete action. It is time for Minnesota’s elected leaders to move beyond public statements and grapple with the fact that without meaningful action, state-sanctioned violence will persist, and communities will continue to suffer.

As an organization that works with a reproductive justice lens, an organizing framework created by Black women, we affirm that every Minnesotan deserves the freedom to live, grow our families, and raise our children in safe, healthy communities—free from violence, including from the state. Communities cannot thrive when we live in constant fear that our children, siblings and loved ones might have a police encounter labeled “routine” and not survive it. Reproductive justice also encompasses the right to bodily autonomy, a right that was denied to Daunte Wright, George Floyd, Philando Castile, Jamar Clark, and far too many others.

There can be no return to normal. This cannot be another instance where there’s grief, community action yet nothing substantive changes.

If the state wants there to be peace, there has to be action. Doing nothing ensures nothing changes. We expect the Minnesota Legislature to act now to address police violence. For information and resources on how you can help people in Brooklyn Center right now, check out this article by The Sahan Journal’s Becky Z. Dernbach.

Sincerely,

All of us at Gender Justice