As you all know, on Monday night a group of white supremacist terrorists opened fire on Black Lives Matter protesters who were peacefully demonstrating in North Minneapolis, wounding five unarmed civilians. This horrific act of violence follows ten days of peaceful protests in the aftermath of the killing of Jamar Clark.
These past days have been deeply challenging for many members of our Sierra Club family and many of our neighbors and friends. As an organization, we pride ourselves on not being afraid of the tough fights. This fight has been especially tough; members of our community - including Sierra Club staff members - have found themselves and/or loved ones in harm's way on multiple occasions.
Mobilizing people and communities in support of a better future is at the very heart of our mission. Acts of violence designed to prevent Americans from exercising their constitutional rights to free speech and assembly are acts of violence against our core values, and we must stand against them.
Last week, the Chapter issued a solidarity statement with protestors and community members standing up for equal protection of the law and against discrimination. I encourage you to read and share this statement with others now: https://sierranorthstar.wordpress.com/…/we-stand-in-solida…/
A simple action folks can take in response to this week's violence is to sign the pledge to show up with Black Lives Matter Minneapolis and the movement for Black lives: http://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/stand_with_blm_mn…
Individuals interested in making a donation to support Black Lives Matter Minneapolis can do so here: http://www.payit2.com/collect-page/56349
This is an opportunity for organizations like ours to demonstrate that we support equal justice and safe, healthy communities for everyone. It is a chance for us to stand up for each other and for our neighbors, just as we stand up for our planet. I hope we live up to the challenge.
Scott Cooper
Sierra Club North Star Chapter Chair