Until Black Lives Matter…

Jacob Blake, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Keith Lamont Scott…

Jacob Blake was tased and shot multiple times early on 8/24 by police in Kenosha, WI, while his children watched. He is in critical condition.

We don’t know all the circumstances but I’m not sure they matter anymore. The pattern of police shooting of Black men and women across the US demonstrates the pervasive, institutional racism in our law enforcement agencies.

All of us have a stake in police reform, in better de-escalation training and implementation, and increased investment in public safety services whether that entails reducing police budgets or not.

Until Black Lives Matter, no lives matter. Dismantling racism is a public health issue and one that all of us should embrace as our life’s work.

– Jan Warren-Findlow, PhD
Professor and Interim Chair