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Every week it seems as though we’re confronted with another story of tragic, completely avoidable deaths involving police officers. Last month, the shooting deaths of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling at the hands of police officers — as well as the killings of officers in Dallas, Texas, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana — caused people around the nation to demand real change.
But that’s something many activists have been demanding for years. Activists like Johnetta Elzie, DeRay Mckesson, Sam Sinyangwe, and Brittany Packnett — who also happen to form the planning committee of Campaign Zero, which aims to end police violence in America.
“We can live in a world where the police don't kill people by limiting police interventions, improving community interactions, and ensuring accountability,” states the website for Campaign Zero. The site outlines 10 different policy solutions that could make a huge difference in how police/civilian interactions can be successfully navigated without the use of deadly force. Their strategies include “limit[ing] use of force,” “community oversight,” and “end[ing] for-profit policing.”
Now Campaign Zero has teamed up with filmmaker Tommy Oliver who directed and produced a PSA featuring celebs like Tina Knowles, Kendrick Sampson, and Aja Naomi King to make a bold statement of when this change can and should happen. The stars do a solemn reading of the hymn-turned-protest song “We Shall Overcome,” speaking the words, “We shall overcome, someday. Deep in my heart I do believe, that we shall overcome. Someday. We’ll walk hand in hand, someday. Deep in my heart I do believe we shall live in peace, someday.” It’s a song that has been sung for decades, but Campaign Zero is declaring that #SomedayIsToday.
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The video not only appeals to viewers, but also provides a way for celebs to take a stand — something that many have been criticized for not doing but is also somehow often still seen as controversial. "[The campaign] is a great example of black celebrities using their voices and platforms to say I see/recognize what's happening re: the movement and police violence," Johnetta says.
It’s on all of us to create the world we want to live in, one in which all people are afforded the same rights and freedoms under the law, one in which all people can live without fear regardless of the color of the skin, their ethnicity, their gender identity, or their religion. And it’s time to stop putting that off. Watch the video above, and then head over to Campaign Zero to find out how to make someday today.
Related: Black Lives Matter Coalition Releases Policy Agenda With 6 Demands
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