​Washington, DC – The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) is outraged and saddened by the murder of Jordan Edwards, a Black teenager, at the hands of another police officer in April, and by this week’s announcement that the Justice Department (DOJ) would not file federal charges against the police officers responsible for the murder of Alton Sterling last July. APALA continues to condemn the deep-seeded racism and violence endemic in our criminal justice system, and remains committed to organizing alongside #BlackLivesMatter and the Movement for Black Lives.
 
“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Jordan Edwards and Alton Sterling,” stated Johanna Puno Hester, APALA National President and Assistant Executive Director of the United Domestic Workers, AFSCME Local 3930. “There is no justice for Black lives. We cannot stop paying attention or forget to remember this pattern of state-sponsored violence against Black and Brown people.”
 
Gregory A. Cendana, APALA Executive Director, added: “The DOJ’s announcement is deeply disappointing and is indicative of the way Attorney General Jeff Sessions will continue to run the department. We live in a scary time where justice is swept under the carpet, where white supremacists have been emboldened to act with violence, where money is time and again put over the dignity and respect of real people.”
 
“From the death of Srinivas Kuchibhotla to Edward Crawford, another Ferguson activist who was just found dead, this struggle for freedom – for our bodies, for our lives – is all connected,” concluded Hester. “Sandra Bland. Philando Castile. Eric Garner. Freddie Gray. Akai Gurley. Michael Brown. We carry their names every day because we work, live, breathe in a society that was not made for us. With an administration that devalues the diverse people we are and that continues to protect the white status quo, we need to resist, organize, and fight back more than ever.”

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​Washington, DC – The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) is outraged by the unnecessary, forcible removal of a passenger on a United Express flight operated by Republic Airways by airport security officers that occurred last Sunday.
 
“Incidents like these are deeply upsetting,” stated Johanna Puno Hester, APALA National President and Assistant Executive Director of the United Domestic Workers, AFSCME Local 3930. “It could have easily been resolved by peaceful means. No one deserves to be treated that way!  It was a needless act of brutality yet again on a person of color."
 
APALA Executive Director Gregory Cendana added: “Resistance to ‘authorities’ of the carceral state does not justify violence against our bodies. This incident is another example in the larger narrative on how people of color are devalued, dehumanized, and criminalized in our society. We demand accountability for the officer’s actions and will continue to put people over profit -- and in this case, the profit of the airline.”
 
"We do not condone the actions of the officer involved. There are tens of thousands of amazing airline employees who provide excellent customer service, and the airline's policy failed them,” continued Hester. “Even after public apologies, airlines should not only reform policies, like the overbooking practice, that can impact their workers’ day to day interactions with passengers, but also represent their dedication to their workers properly throughout these processes.”
 
Cendana concluded: “What is even more disturbing, however, is a growing police state emboldened to use force and violence. Airlines and airports are increasingly becoming places where brown and black communities feel more and more unsafe. We challenge these institutions to proactively address issues of discrimination and racism, and to denounce acts of violence that they may encounter in their workplaces.”

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​Washington, DC – The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) rises in solidarity with #BlackLivesMatter and the Movement for Black Lives, following the recent shootings in Oklahoma and North Carolina.
 
On September 16, Terence Crutcher – unarmed – had his hands in the air but was fatally shot by police in Tulsa. On September 20, Keith Lamont Scott – a disabled man – was shot and killed by police while waiting for his son to be dropped off by a school bus in Charlotte. These losses have sparked outrage and protests in both Oklahoma and North Carolina this week.
 
According to Mapping Police Violence, police and law enforcement have killed 346 black people in 2015 and at least 214 black people this year alone. The deaths of Crutcher and Scott continue a pattern of police violence and demonstrate the deep-rooted hatred and racism on Black lives and people of color.
 
“No justice, no peace. Each Black life lost at the hands of police officers leaves behind family, friends, and a village of people who are demanding justice, accountability, and freedom for all Black people,” declared APALA National President Johanna Hester. “Alton Sterling. Philando Castile. Delrawn Small. Freddie Gray. Sandra Bland. Eric Garner. The list goes on. Our freedom, as an Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, is intrinsically linked with the freedom of Black folks everywhere. Only through collective action and organizing can we all be free.”
 
“We are outraged. Black folks and people of color have every right to be angry at this disproportionate state-sanctioned targeting and mass criminalization of their bodies,” added APALA Executive Director Gregory A. Cendana. “Time and again, we see that their lives are not brought to justice, and we refuse to allow the deaths of Black people to become the norm. It’s so crucial that we organize and mobilize our communities to dismantle this system that too often targets people of color for simply being Black and brown.”
 
In August, APALA organized and joined over 100 AAPI and allied organizations on a Joint Statement for AAPI Solidarity with #BlackLivesMatter and the Movement for Black Lives. With our allies and co-conspirators, we continue to fight for justice of our Black kinfolk and all people of color and call our community to take action. Here’s how you can help:
 

• Sign this petition demanding that the officer who shot Terence Crutcher be indicted.
• Make a donation to support local organizing efforts in North Carolina with the Southern Vision Alliance and Durham Solidarity Center.  
• Take the #NotYourModelMinority pledge and stand on the side of freedom.

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