Lexington Officials Issue Statement On Hate Crimes

LEXINGTON, MA — Lexington officials issued a joint statement condemning hate crimes following the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis and the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery in South Georgia.

The statement reads as follows:

"As leaders in the Town of Lexington, we write to share in the heartache that is felt by our community due to recent hate crimes and acts of brutality. A short time ago we shared our distress over the xenophobia and discrimination faced by the Asian community in the face of COVID-19, and over the past few weeks, we have been reminded of the fatal effects of racism for all people of color. We publicly denounce these recent horrific events and extend our support to all of the Black/African American friends and neighbors in our community and throughout the nation. These systemic inequities are ours to own, and we must work collectively to dismantle them and bring true equality to all.

On May 21, 2020, the Georgia Bureau of Investigations arrested and charged an individual with "Felony Murder and Criminal Attempt to Commit False Imprisonment" for the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed 25-year-old black man. Ahmaud was shot and killed by two white men who recklessly pursued him in their vehicle, as he jogged through a mostly white neighborhood in South Georgia. Then on Monday, May 25, 2020, George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis when Officer Derek Chauvin forcefully knelt on his neck for eight minutes and forty-six seconds, as Floyd lay face-down and handcuffed. The entire ordeal was recorded on a cell phone by a seventeen-year-old bystander, who now faces harassment by those critical of her actions. It is hard to imagine how terrifying it must have been for this teenager to witness this act of brutality and hear Floyd repeatedly saying, "I can't breathe," as she begs officers to let him get up. We know many of the young people in our community have witnessed this video on social media and are trying to process these traumatizing events on their own. Lexington Public Schools educators, counselors, social workers, and staff are available to support our students and school community members. The Lexington Human Rights Committee also stands ready to assist those in our community in processing these tragedies.

The deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd are the most recent of many unmistakable, unnecessary tragedies that should be denounced by the entire nation. These incidents and others have prompted heated exchanges on social media, and Floyd's death, in particular, has incited days of protests that have erupted into violence. The brutal acts occur amidst the backdrop of COVID-19, a global pandemic like no other we have experienced in the past 100 years. The pandemic has surfaced inequities that have always existed, bringing them into much sharper focus. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently reported that "current data suggest a disproportionate burden of illness and death among racial and ethnic minority groups," with an overrepresentation of hospitalizations and death rates among Black/African Americans and Hispanic/Latino persons. Meanwhile, some absurdly blame the origin of the pandemic on the entire Asian.

There is no place in our community for hate. The Town of Lexington will continue to embrace our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racist practices to break the cycle of racism and other forms of oppression. We must rely on one another now more than ever, during this period of COVID-19 shutdown and school closure that currently has no expiration date. Now, more than ever, we need to speak up, listen, talk with one another, take action, and effect change. In the Town of Lexington and the Lexington Public Schools community, we all belong. We invite you to partner with us as active "upstanders" who shape history and create a more compassionate, humane world."