For Immediate Release
June 1, 2020
Contact: Pamela Goodman CEO/President of Ruth’s List FL 561-843-1233 pamela@ruthslistfl.org
RUTH’S LIST FLORIDA CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD RESPONDS TO NATIONWIDE OUTRAGE, SUMMONS PROTESTERS TO ACTION
TAMPA – Responding to the outrage over the murder of George Floyd spurring tens of thousands of protesters to take to the streets throughout Florida and the nation demanding an end to the slayings of unarmed black citizens, Ruth’s List Florida Chairman of the Board, The Honorable Arthenia Joyner on Monday called for a re-channeling of that energy into the voting booth. The former state Senator and long-time civil rights advocate issued the following statement:
The American people, bound by their determination to end the senseless killings that have torn apart our nation for too long, have focused the eyes of the world on an unequal justice system that thrives in countless cities and towns across our country. They have laid bare the prejudices that spur the cruelty we have witnessed and inspired the calls for systemic change demanded by all those yearning to breathe free. We are at a pivotal moment. The marches, the protests, the cries from coast to coast, in the names of, among others, Eric Garner, Philando Castille, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and now, George Floyd, have raised the national consciousness, afflicted the politically comfortable, and inspired a movement. But they have not ended police brutality, or fundamentally changed our lopsided criminal justice system. It is within our power to make that change happen. Change on the street cannot happen without change in our laws and change in our laws begins with change in the voting booth. On behalf of Ruth’s List Florida, whose mission is to elect progressive, women candidates from the highest national offices to the most local ones, I call on the angry, the disaffected, the discouraged, the determined, the young and the old, the black and the white, to join us in this effort. The right to vote is our most fundamental responsibility, the power we give ourselves to ensure that our country truly is of, by, and for the people. But we must use it. This election season, let us channel the energy we took to the streets, into the voting booths. Let our voices demanding change echo throughout our communities, our state, and our nation, as we mark our ballots for candidates who will transform our calls for equal justice into laws that guarantee an equal justice system. And let us proclaim to the world: This is what democracy looks like.
