Los Angeles, CA – The recently released video of the murder of Tyre Nichols is disturbing evidence of what has become an all too common occurrence: extreme police violence against young black men in this country. SEIU 2015 is grieving this brutal murder and we stand with all of our brothers and sisters in communities of color in Memphis and beyond. The roots of police violence in America lie in a system built on structural racism and white supremacy, where communities of color have experienced disproportionate harm in their everyday lives for longer than we can remember.
Tyre Nichols’ death exemplifies why we need sweeping public safety reforms, and in moments like this, our advocacy is more important than ever. This is why SEIU 2015 is committed to fighting for a more just society where the color of one’s skin has no bearing on their safety. This is just another example of the massive and pervasive flaws in our criminal justice system and how those flaws primarily impact young black men. It’s one of the reasons SEIU 2015 has supported reform-minded candidates and elected officials across California, and why we must continue to aggressively push for changes to our broken system.