North by Northwestern stands in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and the protestors fighting to end police brutality, white supremacy and the racist murders that target Black communities in the U.S.

The practice of journalism often expects us to withhold our personal voices in order to preserve our journalistic integrity. However, we believe it is also our duty as journalists to tell the truth. The truth is, the murder of George Floyd — along with Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and countless others — continues a long history of racial injustice at the hands of the U.S. police. There is no excuse for the devastation, pain and suffering inflicted by institutionalized racism, white supremacy and those who propagate these systems of oppression. We demand that the police officers who committed these murders, as well as those with authority who have failed to hold them accountable, face justice.

We urge our readers to go beyond spreading awareness on social media and ask that those who have the financial means consider donating to organizations supporting Black Lives Matter such as Reclaim the Block, Black Visions Collective and North Star Health Collective. Note that this is far from an exhaustive list of organizations that need monetary support — we encourage readers to research and donate to other groups that are combating racial injustice throughout the country. If donating is not financially feasible, we urge you to sign petitions, call officials and text “FLOYD” to 55156 to demand justice. For Members Only has also compiled resources for those looking to support the ongoing protests.

We want to express our solidarity with Black communities, both at Northwestern and throughout the country. We commend the Northwestern students who have taken action through protests, donations and activism. We also understand the relationship between Northwestern’s journalist community and activist community has historically been strained. While there is a lot of progress to be made, we hope that we can repair this relationship and work together to combat injustice in our community and beyond. It is important for us to continue educating ourselves and thinking critically about the ways we contribute to racism and anti-Blackness in our daily lives. We welcome your input on how we can better uplift the voices of those who are fighting for change, reform and justice. Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions, comments or concerns.

--

North by Northwestern