In response to the police killings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling this week, People For the American Way Foundation President Michael Keegan released the following statement:

“On behalf of the staff and board of People For the American Way Foundation, we offer our sincerest condolences to the families and loved ones of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. We are committed to being in solidarity with them and all people who are systematically targeted. It is unacceptable that we live in a world where an African American is shot and killed when pulled over for a broken tail light, as Philando Castile was last night, or another is shot and killed while working to provide for his family, as Alton Sterling was on Tuesday.

“This year alone, at least 136 African Americans have been killed at the hands of the police. This violence cannot be allowed to continue. Police brutality and systemic racism must be eradicated.

“It’s up to every one of us to fight for a world and a society where Black lives matter. Far too many people in our country are systemically targeted, demonized, and forced to fear for their own safety and that of their families. We must fight for a very different future. We have to hold our elected and appointed officials, as well as police officers, accountable for excessive use of force that all too often targets people of color.”

People For the American Way Foundation is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and defend constitutional values including free expression, religious liberty, equal justice under the law, and the right to meaningfully participate in our democracy.

###