National CAPACD Demands Justice for George Floyd

With the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor still fresh on our minds, National CAPACD is heartbroken by the violent and senseless death of George Floyd. On May 25, 2020, George was pinned to the ground by a police officer of the Minneapolis Police Department, choked until he could no longer breathe, and ultimately killed. Footage of the incident affirms the presence of third parties who could have intervened on behalf of George, and instead chose to stay complicit. Like so many before them, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd lost their lives to police brutality born from a deeply racist system that criminalizes black bodies.

National CAPACD Executive Director Seema Agnani states, “We are in the final days of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. As we reflect on our histories and celebrate our contributions, our friends and allies in the black community fear for their lives. The challenges of COVID-19 have reminded us of our collective responsibility to support one another and ensure each other’s safety. We must commit to acknowledging, confronting, and dismantling complicity and racism within our own AAPI communities. Again and again, we must repeat: #BlackLivesMatter. That is the heritage we should leave behind for our children to celebrate.”

National CAPACD calls on our members and allies to act against the horrifying injustices that black communities face. We must work together to ensure that black people have the right to exist in this country without constant fear for their lives. Here are some things you can do to demand justice: