CONTACT: Sarah Tresedder, sarah.tresedder@sierraclub.org
Statement from Sierra Club Michigan Chapter on the Murder of Patrick Lyoya
Lansing, MI - Over the past years, the Sierra Club has come out in support of the families of victims of police brutality and has condemned the racist killings of Black Americans. On Friday, funeral services for Patrick Lyoya were held as his family and the greater Grand Rapids community both mourn and demand justice.
Sierra Club Michigan Chapter Director Gail Philbin and Environmental Justice Organizer Rhonda Anderson, issued the following statement on the death of Patrick Lyoya:
“The heartbreaking killing of a black man in Grand Rapids by local police spotlights how far we have to go to create truly safe, healthy communities for everyone in Michigan and across the country.
“Sierra Club is engaged in this fight because racism is embedded in every aspect of our society--from the way we police to the choices we make about where to locate polluting industries. Racism, in all of its ugly and inhumane forms, requires us to believe that some communities and lives – largely people of color -- are disposable, enabling us to ignore the impacts of climate change and air and water pollution. Protecting the planet requires dismantling systemic racism and replacing it with real investments in not just some but all people and communities.
“The horrific reality of this assassination is that we are no longer surprised at another murder at the hands of the police. Black Lives Matter and Patrick Lyoya should still be alive.”
As loved ones of Patrick Lyoya and the Grand Rapids justice community mourn his untimely and horrific death, the Sierra Club stands by calls for major police reform in our state and the country including the 12 bill package introduced in the Michigan State Legislature after the 2020 murder of George Floyd. Meaningful reform remains stalled at the State and Federal level because of the entrenched power of white supremacy. Sierra Club is committed to supporting legislative reforms as well as local mutual aid initiatives in our collective fight for humanity and justice.
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The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 4 million members and supporters nationwide, and over 150,000 in Michigan. In addition to creating opportunities for people of all ages, levels and locations to have meaningful outdoor experiences, the Sierra Club works to safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and litigation. For more information, visit http://www.sierraclub.org