Dear Lucas,
As 2014 draws to a close and we prepare to celebrate the holidays with family and friends, I’m reminded of how we came into this year with so much excitement and room for hope. We had a new progressive government for our city, which I've been honored to be a part of, and we finally began to work through some long-neglected issues of social justice and fairness, beginning with reforming stop and frisk.
Yesterday’s terribly unjust decision from the Grand Jury regarding the death of Eric Garner, however, reminds me of how much work remains to be done, and how far we remain from the constructive relationship of trust that we so desperately need between our law enforcement officers and communities of color throughout our city. As the first African American woman elected to citywide office, this has been an especially poignant and troubling moment for me.
I was saddened and angered yesterday, as were many of you, and my thoughts and prayers remain first and foremost with Eric Garner’s family, who are now forced to relive this trauma anew, and have had their grief compounded by a profound sense of injustice. With them, with civic and community leaders nationwide, and with the thousands of protesters who have peacefully taken to the streets, I look forward to the outcome of the Federal civil rights investigation announced yesterday by Attorney General Eric Holder.
For all of us, the most important thing we can do right now is to channel our anger and frustration into constructive action. A routine street encounter between an unarmed civilian and the police should never, ever result in that civilian’s death—period. My office will continue to push for reforms that will not only bring similar abuses to light but help to ensure accountability and avoid yet another miscarriage of justice. I urge you to join with me on this crucial endeavor and to continue to make your voices heard—peacefully, constructively, but loud and clear.
Thank you for all that you do.
