Today’s Iowa City Press-Citizen headline in no way represents the incredibly peaceful and respectful protests that took place last night in our community. We understand that this headline is largely the result of their parent company’s decimating cuts to this important local news service and not the strong work of the 3-4 journalists left at the Press-Citizen. It is very disappointing and not helpful as we work to come closer together as a community.
As community leaders we are heartbroken by recent events, and to see the pain throughout the country and in our own community. We are angry at the murder of George Floyd and the injustice that has existed in this country for far too long. Racism and systematic injustice cannot be tolerated any longer.
We want to be perfectly clear:
- Black Lives Matter.
- Despite some of the negative, and at times erroneous, social media coverage, the vast majority of the local protests have been peaceful, positive and productive.
- Our local elected officials have been providing incredible leadership. They are making sure every voice is being heard.
We as community leaders pledge to have more than just good intent. We must listen and stand witness to the pain of our community members, and then we must act in partnership with them to build a better future for all. We are committed to addressing the economic and social inequality that exists by bringing disparate voices to the table and building a mutual understanding of the community needs. We must work collaboratively and with compassion to move through and beyond where we are today. We are determined to work collectively through Project Better Together to impact systemic change and build a future where we are truly equal in all ways.
We appreciate the strong leadership by Mayor Teague, the City Council, Supervisor Porter, North Liberty Councilor RaQuishia Harrington and other community leaders who continue to inspire and demonstrate that we truly are better together. We are listening and look forward to following your lead. And to all the people of color in our communities, We See You, We Hear You and we are ready to work with you to build a new shared future. View our webinar here.
Take the project better together survey here and sign up to get involved in making real changes in our county. Find more info at www.icareatogether.com.