In response to the tragedy that occurred in Jacksonville yesterday afternoon on Saturday, August 26th – Moné Holder, Senior Director of Advocacy & Programs for Florida Rising, issued the following statement:
During the DeSantis administration, white supremacy groups have often demonstrated their hate without any condemnation from the Governor or his allies. What happened in Jacksonville, where a gunman destroyed three precious Black lives, is new evidence that an anti-Blackness platform – like the one promoted and supported by DeSantis and the GOP – could have violent consequences.
A bloody action perpetrated by a racist individual confirms that violent people are filling their minds daily with this horrible wave of bigotry and discrimination, whether erasing Black history or unapologetically attacking the LGBTQIA+ community.
This heinous crime is a painful reminder that the fight for inclusion, racial and social justice, and a country without the sin of racism or the permanent tragedy of gun violence is our fight and our promise as an organization and members of a community. We demand that DeSantis and his allies, in and out of government, stop this pervasive rhetoric of racism.
Tomorrow marks the 60th anniversary where Dr. Martin Luther King famously gave his “I Have a Dream” speech, and said:
‘Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.‘
Following these unforgettable words, we can say that now is the time for Floridians from all walks of life, Black and Brown communities, to hold accountable those who have created an environment of hatred, injustice, and discrimination.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and the Jacksonville community, whom we are members of ourselves. Rest in power.
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