Dear Friends and Family,

The events of the past week have been horrifying. For decades, we have watched countless videos of law enforcement brutally exerting their power, both physically and psychologically, against black bodies. I wish that I could say that this behavior is an anomaly, but it’s not. This behavior goes back to chattel slavery when my ancestors were bought and sold like property.

Historically, the dehumanizing use of force was designed to incite fear and oppress Black people, and it is now deeply codified and rooted in many of our nation’s policies and policing practices. My people have lived in a pervasive fear of it for centuries. That fear has been ingrained into our biology and psyche, denying us the right to ownership of our own bodies and to an unfettered pursuit of happiness.

George Floyd was denied those rights. So were Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Bettie Jones, Philando Castile, Natasha, McKenna, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others that died simply for living while black.

Power of Two joins our community in mourning every single black life lost to senseless brutality and racism. And yet, amid our mourning, we also see hope. We see people throughout the United States and around the world coming together in solidarity with our Black communities.

Around the globe we are united in our shared humanity. We see people filling the streets from England to Canada to Germany to New Zealand, marching with the shared conviction that the racism we face is not acceptable and cannot continue.

There is power in those demonstrations and It is our hope that this will not be an isolated instance of protests, but rather the beginning of a long-term and concerted movement. There is also power in collective sharing and we will continue to use our platform to lift up the voices of those we have lost and those of us that are marshaling change.

Erasma Beras-Monticciolo

Executive Director, Power of Two