"Two years ago, the world saw George Floyd murdered. The protests that followed in the summer of 2020 were a moment of collective grief and trauma, and at the same time a moment of inspiration as people rose up to demand change.
"There has been movement, and critically, we are still fighting for more and for better. In some areas we saw reform, and we must work to hold onto that minimum progress – but in many ways, we missed the moment to fundamentally redefine public safety.
"Two years later, as we continue to see people across New York having their safety and sense of safety threatened, it is not time to allow retreat or regression, but to build momentum in that fight for transformational change.
"Two years later, the volume of voices declaring that Black Lives Matter has become more muted as people in power either retreat from the phrase or the actions that such a declaration mandates. Communities like George Floyd’s are facing persistent, preventable violence from many directions. We must continue to raise our voices and issues, and march forward to confront the challenges of real change, enacting policies that protect Black lives and Black communities through health care, education, housing, opportunity, and safety, and through addressing Black trauma.
"Black Lives Matter, and Black Lives are still being taken. Two years later, we need to keep fighting for justice, for George Floyd and so many more who have lost their lives since."