Common Ground condemns the abuse of power by the police against African Americans.  We are appalled and horrified by the cold-blooded murder of George Floyd and other African Americans at the hands of the police and white supremacists. We stand in solidarity with the families of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and all the victims whose lives were cut short because of the color of their skin. 

We stand against racism. We are committed to challenging racist attitudes, beliefs and assumptions in all our discussions, plans and actions. We assert the self-evident truth that Black Lives Matter. We refuse to be silent about racism in our society, and we understand the need to constantly challenge ourselves to confront our biases and work in unity with people from diverse groups. 

We believe organizing and action can bring change. As a multi-racial collective of African American, Latino, and Anglo leaders and institutions, we have worked to build power that has improved education, housing, health insurance, and crime and safety. Common Ground is organizing to create power for ordinary people in order to negotiate and stop the abuse of powerful people in our communities to make a more just world. We will continue this work specifically addressing the systemic abuse of power against African Americans.

“Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

#BLM