City of Durham Racial Equity Task Force Statement In Solidarity With BLM Protests
City of Durham Racial Equity Task Force stands in solidarity with Black-led protests demanding justice for Black Lives.
Durham, NC – The City of Durham Racial Equity Task Force (RETF) is a multiracial, multicultural group of 17 Durham residents appointed by the City in October of 2018, and has been charged with developing recommendations for the City Council to ensure racial equity in our city. While the Task Force has not yet finished their report, they say they felt called upon at this critical moment to speak out in support of the aims of the protests across the country demanding justice for Black Lives.
Retired Judge Elaine O’Neal, North Carolina Central University (NCCU) Law School Interim Dean, is the Chair of the RETF, with community organizer and advocate Kaaren M. Haldeman serving as Vice-Chair. RETF members are Vanessa J. Hines, Daniel R. McKinney, James Tabron, Jessica C. Luginbuhl, David H. Dixon, Katie J. Mgongolwa, Tia M. Hall, Cecilia S. Polanco, Cory H. Hogans, Emily S. Coward, Jovonia Lewis, Jamal E.Moss, Howard N. Machtinger, Ana S. Nunez, and Cameron L. Smith. Each member serves a one-year term.
Durham Racial Equity Task Force Statement:
We join in solidarity with the growing, Black-led movement for an anti-racist future.
We are calling for a deep, long-term overhaul of our culture, a culture tied at all levels—individual, system, and institution— to white supremacy. It is time to take a clear anti-racist stand NOW. The politics of racial resentment and the tolerance of those destructive politics are lethal to people of color and a dead-end for white people and for society overall.
We call on our communities, institutions, and individuals to take anti-racist action. We call on white people, in particular, to seek out fellow white anti-racist leaders within Durham who can provide guidance and training on non-harmful principles and practices of being an active anti-racist.
Despite the grave challenges, there is hope. Protests in Durham, as well as the deep convictions expressed by our City Council members regarding the policing of Black people, show both the passion and the belief that change is possible. Years of activism have paved the way for meaningful change. This moment is an opportunity to reimagine and create a community—a society—where access to safety, wealth, humane housing, and quality education and health care is guaranteed for all people.
The City of Durham Racial Equity Task Force is committed to working in partnership with the people and the city of Durham to create together a City of Racial Equity.
For more information about the City of Durham Racial Justice Task Force, click here