In light of recent events across the United States that have reinvigorated classical and contemporary discussions about racial inequality, civil liberties, and biased law enforcement practices, we feel that it is our duty as an organization, united in brotherhood to advance identity and equality, to educate and empower not only ourselves but those around us about the work that still needs to be done to build the kind of society we all envision, regardless of political affiliation, beliefs or values.
This is not a call for reactionary action against local, state, or federal police forces but rather a call for a deeper understanding of how our criminal justice system, and its application, disproportionately impacts minority communities, especially Black and Latino males. The application of our criminal laws and procedures along with policies that foster and create hostility, animosity, and distrust continue to weaken our police-community relations, and, at times, have led to civil rights violations. As Latinos and brothers of various racial and ethnic identities, these issues have traditionally plagued us, as evident in personal or family experiences with law enforcement, be it local or federal (such as US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)). And while many of us have been lucky to never experience these negative interactions, they nonetheless exist in our society, and it is part of our mission to ensure we continue to advocate for equality for all.
With this in mind, we call upon all of our entities to participate, organize, or collaborate on or in peaceful and impactful programs, demonstrations, or activities that educate all communities about the injustices in our society, biased law enforcement practices, and general acts of racism, sexism, etc. Additionally, we strongly encourage our undergraduate entities to utilize one of their required cultural/educational programs for spring 2015 to lead discussions on how we as a society can do better by soliciting/inviting professors, law enforcement officials, community activists, and informed others to speak on campus.
The National Executive Board will continue to explore responsible opportunities for our collective involvement, and is open to suggestions from you. In the mean time, we will be reinstating our Political Action Awareness Committee (PAAC) to keep us abreast of policies, actions, and events that merit our attention and action. We are also committing time at our upcoming 2015 Conference in Atlanta, GA, to discuss ways to empower our brotherhood to responsibly engage in impactful social justice actions.
We encourage all brothers to become informed and advocate for equality and social justice. Know that not all law enforcement officials practice discriminatory behaviors, as witnessed by you and the many brothers of ours that serve in this capacity, as officers, lawyers, judges, etc. We are all entitled to our individual beliefs about the actions that led to these events, regardless of political beliefs, affiliation or values. What we are not entitled to as brothers of Lambda Theta Phi is inaction in the light of inequality and the violation of civil liberties.
¡En la union esta la fuerza!
Fraternally,
José Gustavo Grajales
National President
Engelbert Santana
National Vice President