It has been a heavy week.
As we watched the protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd play out in downtown Fort Wayne last weekend, we were deeply saddened and concerned with the way the situation was handled—escalating protests about police brutality with more police brutality. Not once, but twice.
Yes, there were offenses committed by protesters, but that is no excuse to address the situation with violence. It only perpetuates the systemic injustices that the protesters are fighting to change and continues the cycle of oppression.
As a publication committed to supporting and elevating diverse voices in Fort Wayne's community, we cannot overlook these decisions and sweep hasty responses to racial injustice under the rug in our discomfort.
If we do, oppressed feelings will only continue to fester.
Instead, we urge Fort Wayne to reconsider its future, reconsider its commitment to nurturing an environment of diversity and inclusion in Northeast Indiana, and more than anything, reconsider what is fundamentally right.
These situations are complex, and as a white-led publication, we do not profess to have the answers. But we encourage our community to join us in doing a better job at listening to our neighbors of color, learning from their experiences, and taking action.
The anger and frustration that filled the streets of Fort Wayne this week is not just about one incident in Minneapolis. It is about all of the Black lives lost to police violence. It is about the pervasive inequities that started long before the first protests began and the broken system that has failed George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many more.
Cities that want to create healthy and thriving places for the next generation must acknowledge the role they have played in America’s long history of racial injustice and systematic oppression. And they must not excuse or repeat these mistakes as they chart their way into the future.
As a community, please join us in reconsidering what we think we know and empowering and lifting up the voices of the marginalized.
We believe Fort Wayne can do better.
Sincerely,
Kara Hackett
Managing Editor of Input Fort Wayne
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