Statement from the Department of Sociology on Racism, Policing, and the Murder of George Floyd

One week ago, we witnessed the tragic murder of George Floyd. His death, along with the deaths of countless other Black people in the United States, speaks to the anti-Black racism that has plagued this country for centuries. The subsequent anger and outrage, in the same way, speaks to the systemic inequalities that define the everyday realities of all individuals who face intolerance, discrimination, marginalization and bigotry. 

We, the members of the Department of Sociology at California State University, Long Beach, stand with the millions of people across the country who are rightfully outraged by the patterned killings of Black Americans at the hands of the police, and the unwillingness of the State to arrest or render appropriate charges against the perpetrators. Further, we support the rights of all people to raise their voices in protest, and are angered by the calls for violence against those demanding justice. We also condemn those who fail to acknowledge clear differences between those who are peacefully protesting in defense of their lives, and the opportunists who are relying on racist narratives to displace their acts of violence onto those protesters.

We recognize, however, that condemnation and outrage are not enough. 

Antiracism requires active resistance against oppressive institutions.  

We will not stand on the sidelines. Collectively, we must confront the many forms of intersecting violence that manifest through the criminalization, scapegoating and exploitation of our most vulnerable communities. This means challenging all systems of oppression (including racism, poverty, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, anti-immigrant policies, Islamophobia, and antisemitism). 

We support the Black Lives Matter movement’s call for the defunding of state and local police and law enforcement agencies. In the City of Long Beach – where we all teach – the police represent the single largest line item in the city’s budget. This is not sustainable, nor healthy. Instead, these funds could be reinvested back into public institutions and communities; especially, into public education, public health and hospitals, good jobs, public transit, public libraries, environmental protection, and affordable housing programs.

Finally, these recent examples of systemic racism further underscore the centrality of Ethnic Studies in high quality, public education. In light of this, the Sociology faculty fully support the mandating of Ethnic Studies as a graduation requirement at the CSU.

In echoing the call for recognition that Black Lives Matter, we acknowledge the specificity of anti-black racism and how it results in the patterned dehumanization of Black Americans. Until Black Lives are valued, a just society is not possible. 

We are committed to listening to the voices of those at the center of this struggle, and to using our platforms as intellectuals to promote justice in our classrooms and beyond.

 In Solidarity,

 Sociology Faculty

California State University, Long Beach