As a community, we are grieving. The deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and so many unnamed black men and women are heartbreaking and unacceptable. We believe black lives matter.

At the League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Tulsa, we work to defend democracy and empower voters, but that cannot happen if members of our community live in fear.

We will continue to do the work we do best and we do so knowing we have a tall hill to climb. When it comes to voting rights and giving all voices an equitable share of the public discussion, there is much systemic change that must happen. Now, more than ever, we are committed to making that change happen.

To those in the black community who are hurting, we see you. We stand with you. We grieve with you. Your life matters.