Birmingham, AL – U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) released the following statement today in response to the protests in Birmingham:

“To all those who feel marginalized because of the color of your skin: I see you and I hear you. Your pain and hopelessness is legitimate – since the founding of our nation, our criminal justice system has failed our black and brown communities. My heart aches for George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and the countless others whose senseless deaths have not made the national news cycle.

“As a daughter of Selma, I myself have struggled to reconcile with the moment in which we continue to find ourselves, over and over. The Foot Soldiers who came before us fought to create a better future; but every day we are reminded that that fight is far from over. They sacrificed their lives in pursuit of an America that lives up to its ideals – an America that we have not yet reached more than 55 years later.

“The racism that causes our pain can be seen plainly in police brutality and in the staggering health disparities our communities have endured throughout this pandemic. It can be seen in thinly-veiled attempts to put African Americans in our place, holding on to and idolizing a time when our bodies were not our own. And it can be seen in the state-sanctioned holidays and monuments that honor the leaders of the Confederacy, including today, ‘Jefferson Davis Day.’

“I also know that the vast majority of the Americans across the country and in Birmingham are peacefully protesting for social justice. The heroes of the Civil Rights Movement showed us it is possible to change history without damaging property and torching businesses that our community members depend on, so I implore all Alabamians to speak out and demand change without violence. We cannot let violence distract from the legitimate anger and frustration that we must channel toward action. I pray for both peace and justice.

“I wish I had all the answers and I could give us all the solutions we need. For now, I promise that I will work tirelessly to do absolutely everything within my power to bring peace and justice to our communities.”

 Video of Rep. Sewell is available here.