Uniting America to end systemic racism | Three Things Thursday
Unite America stands in solidarity with those who have been peacefully protesting against injustice.
We cannot and will not be united as a country until there is an end to systemic racism.
This fight is about what it means to live up to our highest ideals as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans.
In helping to foster a government that truly represents the people and gives a voice to all — as our co-chairs explain in a new Letter — we are committed to doing our part.
1. A Letter from Our Co-Chairs
Unite America co-chairs Kathryn Murdoch, Shawn Riegsecker, and Charles Wheelan write:
“We need to restore faith that all Americans have voice and opportunity, and that our elected leaders are acting on our behalf. We need to give more voice to Americans, particularly communities of color, who feel powerless and unheard and violated by our institutions.”
They say that efforts to expand voter participation, end gerrymandering, and implement ranked choice voting will “give us a better, fairer electoral system so that our democracy can help heal with what ails us.”
Read their full letter.
2. Is America at a breaking point?
Vox’s Ezra Klein reminds us: “When the Civil Rights Act passed, it did so with Republican votes, even as it was signed by a Democrat. Imagine legislation of such consequence passing without partisan valence today.”
That political system of the 20th Century, albeit severely flawed, is no longer here. Instead, we are now neatly sorted into two parties along self-reinforcing social and ideological lines.
“Our divisions define our parties and our institutions crack under the strain; Congress can’t resolve small disputes, to say nothing of fundamental fractures.”
3. The situation is dire. We need a better normal at the end of this — and peace.
Danielle Allen of The Washington Post writes: “When you have a legitimacy crisis, and cycles of disempowerment across society, not only for black and brown citizens but also for white, for rural as well as urban, it shouldn’t come as a surprise when you have revolution in your streets. The issues people confront are legion and conflicting. What unites them across ideological divides is a conviction that our processes of governance are failing to deliver security and opportunity."