Winston-Salem(July 9, 2016) Winston-Salem Urban League President and CEO James Perry issued the following statement in regard to the deaths of African-American men in Baton Rouge, LA and St. Paul, at the hands of police and the deadly attacks on police officers in Dallas, Tx:
“As a former Louisianan, I was horrified to see the video of the death of Alton Sterling. I have stood on the very corner in Baton Rouge where he died. Seeing the video of the aftermath of the death of Philando Castile, another African-American man at the hands of police in St. Paul in what should have been an everyday traffic stop, only exacerbated my frustration and the frustration of many across this nation. Unfortunately, this is not new. What is new, is social media’s ability to broadcast these occurrences in realtime.
Everyday interactions with police in poor, black and latino neighborhoods should not result in death. We must insure that interactions between police and non-violent members of the community are safe for all involved.
I was similarly heartbroken to learn of the calculated murder of five officers and one civilian by a lone gunman in Dallas. This heartless act is not acceptable. It does not speak for the tens of millions of families of who seek partnerships with police in an to make their communities safe.
The Winston-Salem Urban League is committed to healing the rifts between law enforcement and the communities they serve. In the coming weeks, the Winston-Salem Urban League and several partners will begin an effort in that regard.”