ENOUGH

WHEREAS, millions of unknown people were enslaved, tortured and killed in the Americas during the slave trade; and

WHEREAS, Rev. George Lee, Mack Charles Parker, Herbert Lee, Cpl. Roman Ducksworth Jr., Louis Allen, James Earl Chaney, Andrew Goodman, Michael Henry Schwerner, Jimmie Lee Jackson, Rev. James Reeb, Jonathan Myrick Daniels, Benjamin Brown, Samuel Ephesians Hammond Jr., Delano Herman Middleton, Henry Ezekial Smith, Andrew Lee Anderson, Frank Andrews, Larry Bolden, James Brazier, Thomas Brewer, Hillard Brooks, Eli Brumfield, Silas Caston, Clarence Cloninger, Willie Countryman, Woodrow Wilson Daniels, A.A. Hall, Collie Hampton, Ernest Hunter, Luther Jackson, Ernest Jells, Richard Lillard, George Love, Robert L. McNair, Nehemiah Montgomery, James Earl Motley, Larry Payne, C.H. Pickett, Jimmy Powell, Johnny Queen, Johnny Robinson, Marshal Scott Jr., Jessie James Shelby, Eddie James Stewart, Isaiah Taylor, John Wesley Wilder; and

WHEREAS, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Laquan McDonald, Freddie Gray, Philando Castile, Alton Sterling, Sean Reed, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Danroy Henry, Jr., Aiyana Stanley-Jones, Travis McNeil, Rekia Boyd, Shantel Davis, Alesia Thomas, Kayla Moore, Miriam Carey, Yvette Smith, Pearlie Golden, Sheneque Proctor, Tanisha Anderson, Natasha McKenna, Sandra Bland, Keith Childress, Bettie Jones, Kevin Matthews, Michael Noel, Miguel Espina, Nathaniel Pickett, Tiara Thomas, Richard Perkins, Michael Lee Marshall, Lamontez Jones, Paterson Brown, Junior Prosper, Keith McLeod, Wayne Wheeler, India Kager, Felix Kumi, Michael Sabbie, Jonathan Sanders, Spencer McCain, Kris Jackson, Jermaine Benjamin, Kevin Higgenbotham, Samuel Harrell, Walter Scott, Eric Harris, Dominick Wise, Askari Roberts, Anthony Hill, Naeschlus Vinzant, Thomas Allen, Jr., Lavall Hall, Matthew Ajibade, La'vante Biggs, Tyree Crawford, Sylville Smith, Korryn Gaines, David Joseph, Dyzhawn Perkins, Christopher Davis, Jessica Nelson-Williams, Michael Eugene Wilson Jr., Terrence Crutcher, Charleena Chaven Lyles, JR Williams, Nana Adomako, Cad Robertson, Raynard Burton, Alteria Woods, Marc Brandon Davis, Aaron Bailey, Dewboy Lister, Keita O'Neil, Juan Pedro Pierre, Stephon Clark, Alonzo Smith, Arther McAfee Jr., Ronnell Foster, Mario Dantoni Bass, Shermichael Ezeff, Cameron Hall, Juan Markee Jones, Marcus-David L. Peters, Antwan Rose, Rashaun Washington, Cynthia Fields, Danny Washington, Pamela Turner, Marcus McVae, Isaiah Lewis, Ryan Twyman, Antwun Shumpert, Josef Richardson, Atatiana Jefferson, Michael Dean, Ahmaud Arbery, Maurice Gordon, David McAtee, William Howard Green, Donnie Sanders, Dreasjon Reed; and

WHEREAS, George Floyd; and

WHEREAS, all the other victims of police brutality and violence unnamed but not forgotten; and

WHEREAS, more than 1,000 people are killed each year by police with nearly 60 percent of the victims not possessing a gun or involving issues of mental health (https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/); and

WHEREAS, police brutality against Black and brown persons in the U.S. is a manifestation of continual, persistent and pervasive white supremacy; and

WHEREAS, this white supremacy is systemic and institutionalized and influences the lives of everyone living in the U.S., albeit in very different ways; and

WHEREAS, the eradication of this white supremacy is a necessary precondition toward creating a culture of equity and equality and, therefore, must be a primary goal of education:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers and its affiliates will work to end police brutality by actively supporting legislation on the federal, state and local levels that:

1. Imposes strict police accountability;
2. Ends policing of minor, "broken windows," offenses;
3. Bans use of chokeholds;
4. Limits the use of force by requiring a de-escalation policy and mandatory reporting;
5. Eliminates racial profiling;
6. Demilitarizes law enforcement;
7. Requires all police officers to wear functioning and operating body cameras at all times;
8. Tracks and reports data;
9. Ensures proper screening, education and training of all officers;
10. Establishes a team of mental health professionals to send as first responders to calls involving mental health crises;
11. Removes police officers from schools;
12. Invests in expanding first responders to include alternative intervention in all types of circumstances to include public health officials, social workers, mental health professionals and related expertise;
13. Requires compliance with federal civil rights laws;
14. Requires independent community oversight boards and human rights commissions;
15. Incorporates other meaningful reforms; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT and its affiliates will demonstrate their ongoing resolve to support racial, social and economic justice by:

1. Actively mentoring members of color and members of other traditionally underrepresented groups for leadership positions in the organizations;
2. Writing strong anti-racism and anti-oppression language into governance documents;
3. Providing anti-racist and anti-oppression training for all employees of the unions;
4. Making anti-racist and anti-oppression training for all members a principal goal of the unions;
5. Calling for all our sibling unions, particularly law enforcement unions, to do the same; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will call upon the AFL-CIO to join us in these efforts to change legislation and to support racial, social and economic justice.