“Sonya was a mother, a daughter, and a human being who hoped that law enforcement would protect her in a time of need. But instead, she was frightened and killed in her home by the police. In a moment of crisis, Sonya had to navigate the fear of what might come from a possible intruder in her home and the fear of having no choice but to engage directly with police. In the end, the people she called for help chose to end her life over a pot of water, adding her to the list of 139 Black people who have been killed by police just this year. Time and time again, Black people are forced to contend with the painful reality that we are not safe in a society that prioritizes the funding and expansion of police over the needs of the people. Sonya deserved so much more. She deserved to be seen as worthy of care and protection, and she should be with us today. 

We grieve with Sonya’s family and the countless others around this country who share the experience of losing loved ones to state-sanctioned police killings. What Sonya needed, and what we all need, is the option to call for help and for people to arrive prepared to intervene and de-escalate emergency situations in ways that actually keep us safe. And we know that reality is possible. For this reason, the Movement for Black Lives and our accomplices around the nation are organizing to divest from the anti-Black, white supremacist institution of policing that has historically failed to keep us safe and to invest in community safety alternatives that value all Black lives. 

We know, and research supports, that the militarization of police is inextricably linked to the perpetuation of police violence enacted against Black people. A 2017 study by Ryan Welch and Jack Mewhirter on the militarization of police found a direct correlation between the rise of militarization and more police killings. So that means the cop cities being built across the country, including the one in Decatur, IL, will do nothing but put the lives of our people in greater danger. We must ask, was Officer Sean Grayson trained at the Decatur Center? If so, it didn’t work. And if he didn’t, why not? His record indicates that he needed it well before he arrived at Sonya’s house. Sonya’s murder is another painful indicator that our current policing apparatus does not create safety for our people, and we have to invest in community-driven solutions.

Our most recent report, Perspectives on Community Safety Alternatives from Black America, found that nearly 90 percent of Black Americans support alternatives to policing, including the hiring of professionals trained in violence de-escalation and mental health professionals as non-police first responders to emergencies. This data proves there’s a collective demand to end the kind of violence that took Sonya from her family. It also shows that our people have the solutions to create and advance these alternatives right now. M4BL’s People’s Response Campaign offers public safety alternatives that come directly from our people. This strategy is supported by our People’s Response Campaign Fellows, 20 Black-led grassroots organizations committed to reimagining public safety. They are driving campaigns in their cities for community-led safety responses that invest in our people’s mental health and wellness while creating real solutions for safety away from the carceral state. 

As we draw closer to the 2024 presidential election and watch as candidates begin shaping their platforms, these conditions need to be addressed and prioritized by presidential candidates and elected officials around the country. After the unrelenting attack on Black people that ignited uprisings in 2020, we developed the BREATHE Act, our comprehensive legislative response to police violence that offers a vision and policy proposals that actually keep us safe. Our legislation, driven by our communities, inspired Rep. Congresswoman Cori Bush (D-MO) to sponsor the People’s Response Act, which focuses on non-police crisis response and treats community safety as a public health issue. The People’s Response Act is the first BREATHE-inspired bill introduced in Congress. We know that organizing builds the kind of electoral power that forces our elected leaders to respond, and we’re doing the work to make it happen. 

The time is now, not one more murder. We demand the passage of the People’s Response Act. We urge our communities to learn more about the People’s Response Act and to follow and support organizations like In Our Names Network and Black Feminist Future that are focused on ending police and gender-based violence against Black women, Black femmes, and TGNCI folks. We will not rest until we have public safety alternatives that protect, defend, and celebrate Black people in the living.”