In the wake of the tragedy in Ferguson, SEIU members have experienced collective grief and outrage at the taking of unarmed Michael Brown's life and the subsequent non-indictment by the St Louis Grand Jury of Officer Darren Wilson.
Injustices against our communities and children of color reverberate in all communities and take our nation steps backward in our quest toward fairness and justice for all.
Our fight for an America where working people can provide a decent life for their families without fear can never be fully realized until justice and safety prevail in every community across our country.
We have taken steps inside our union and with partners on Ferguson and the broader issues it raises.
After the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, we came together and declared our opposition to practices like "Stop and Frisk" policies and other profiling policies, which pose a threat to all of our communities but have a disparate and devastating impact on people of color, in general, and minority youth in particular.
What we've done to stand with the people of Ferguson:
- Along with partners, we sent a letter to President Barack Obama, "Beyond Ferguson," which urged action on equitable policing strategies in America.
- We have petitioned the Department of Justice to investigate Michael Brown's death.
- We have invested resources to support the Organization for Black Struggle's (OBS) on the ground. OBS was founded by activists, students and union organizers in 1980 and has led efforts to coordinate broader coalition work in Ferguson.
- SEIU members and allies have participated in actions and vigils nationwide and united with partners in Missouri in peaceful protests.
- The Future Fighters, millennial members of our union, have been active on the ground, on social media and through fundraising to raise awareness, educate youth and show the nation that humble and nonviolent citizens are coming together to rebuild and uplift each other in this tragic moment.
- We continue to help drive a national organizing table of social justice organizations to push for a swift investigation, accountability, and on the range of issues of deeper issues that the Ferguson tragedy brought back into the national consciousness.
- We are updating our organizational equity guidelines which were established after Trayvon Martin's death.
- We have assembled a dedicated, multi-disciplinary staff team to better integrate the deep-seeded issues that Ferguson raised in all of our work for social and economic justice.
