The time for change is now

Far too many innocent Black lives have been lost and harmed at the hands of bias, prejudice and systemic racism.

Right now, there is deep-rooted fire and passion within our community and throughout the globe. I, too, am sickened by the senseless murder of George Floyd, and by the fact that this is the reality of the world we presently live in. Discrimination of any kind is out of line with the values our state holds dear and is renowned for. We, as Wisconsinites, can do better. We must do better. The sanctity of our values and democracy depends on it. Above all, lives depend on it.

I know that in order for change and growth to be both tangible and long-term in our state, we will face challenges. It will take countless hours of community conversations, deliberation, and determined and responsive leadership. I also know that in order for us to move ahead, we must work tirelessly together to remove all barriers that prevent folks from being safe and being able to achieve their dreams. The time for change is now. We simply cannot delay any further.

I know that centuries of racism and injustices cannot be quickly fixed by one policy — this work will take intentional change throughout all of our systems, from addressing police brutality to criminal justice reform and beyond.

My solidarity with the Black community, and my commitment to working for equity and justice for people of color across Wisconsin, remains steadfast. We have a lot of work to do, but that does not mean this work is not worth doing — far, far from it.

Enough is enough. We are in this fight for justice together. Together, we can bring the change that we believe in to our state.

Black Lives Matter.