Solidarity Statement

April 21, 2021: We are relieved that Derek Chauvin has been found guilty on all counts for the murder George Floyd. We celebrate this step towards police accountability, and we are hopeful that this moment is a catalyst towards real change in this country.

Sadly, while America awaited the verdict yesterday, at the same time, Columbus police shot and killed a sixteen year old girl: Ma’Khia Bryant. Justice for George Floyd means he’d still be alive. Justice for Ma’Khia Bryant means that she'd still be alive, able to grow up healthy and safe in her community. Since the massive protests last summer in the wake of the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many others, central Ohio have lost at least three Black lives by the police: Casey Goodson Jr., Andre Hill, and now, Ma’Khia Bryant. Ma’Khia Bryant joins a tragic list of children, mostly Black and Brown, that have been killed by the police: Tamir Rice, Tyre King, Joseph Haynes, Adam Toledo, and more. 

Courts cannot bring about justice that is needed at this scale. We need a transformation of policing in this country, and Ohio is not exempt. According to a June 2020 Ohio Capital Journal article:

“Ohio is an especially bad offender when it comes to racial disparities in police killings. From 2013 to 2019, 215 Ohioans were killed by police, 80 of whom were black. That means over a third (37%) of people killed by police over that time period were black, despite the fact that only 12% of Ohioans as a whole are black according to Census Bureau estimates. This 25-percentage-point disparity makes Ohio a top 10 worst state for racial disparities in police killings and constitutes a bigger disparity than all of its neighboring states.” 

There is a bill in Congress - and countless more policy recommendations, such as the BREATHE Act and the New Deal for Housing Justice - which can help reimagine this system to be more just for everyone. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act is waiting for a vote in the Senate. OCDCA’s vision is “the creation of a community development environment that comprehensively improves life opportunities for all Ohioans.” We cannot achieve this vision until systems that disproportionately harm Black Ohioans are changed. 

At the heart of community development and our movement is to listen to and support those most affected. If your organization is engaged in racial justice work, please let us know. We want to share, support, elevate the work that you are doing.

In solidarity,

OCDCA

June 2, 2020: The last week has been heavy and heart-breaking for so many around the country. We stand together against the system of structural racism that led to the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless others. Read the full statement.