Dear Friends,

Over the past week, there have been thousands of people gathering together across the country to protest and rally against injustices against the black and brown community. There have been renewed calls for accountability, transparency and reform of a system that that only protects some. We have much work to do in this Country and in this State!

Right now, as a country and as a people, we should all be feeling some form of intense emotion as a result of the murder of George Floyd. Personally, I am beyond outraged. I can’t tell you the amount of times that I replayed that video in total disgust and then again in sorrow, but never in disbelief. This is not the first time and it, unfortunately, will not be the last if we don’t force change. George Floyd’s senseless death is the culmination of a long list of modern day lynchings and abuse of black and brown people.

It is time to have a real, raw and unfiltered conversation about what is happening in our country, why it continues to happen and how we on Long Island all can be a part of changing it. In my role as an Elected Official and a Civil Rights Attorney, I will be bringing together Civil Rights leaders, Civil Rights attorneys Social Justice advocates, and Police Reform experts for “Exploring the Blue Line: A Real Discussion on The Reality of Race” (Thursday, June 11th @ 6pm). More information will be available soon but please Save the Date and time and come ready to be part of creating the change that is long overdue.

Today (June 1st) from 12pm – 8:46pm, I will be hosting a Youth Speak Out to give the youth an opportunity to be heard! This is for the YOUTH! Their voices are important!

This is a virtual forum and will allow for their voices to be heard while still protecting their health and safety during this pandemic. The forum will be open to youth participants for 8 hours and 46 minutes (representative of the 8 minutes and 46 seconds that the Officer kept his knee on George Floyd’s neck) and youth participants can join anytime throughout the day and stay as long as they’d like.

If you know of any youth that would like to join, please have them register at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIsde-gqTMsHd0QylsD0yDlx2thMmM47ELk?fbclid=IwAR1j0_w3epIkuqum1WRpWXMNhIFoMDcIRajpVEUVic2z4_equNybUg1ChHQ

Best,

Valerie Cartright  (Cartright for Senate, Port Jefferson Station)