Chicago Urban League President and CEO Shari Runner Statement on Laquan McDonald

Chicago Urban League Interim President and CEO, Shari Runner, today issued the following statement regarding the call for justice for Laquan McDonald:

“As we await the release of the videotape showing the killing of Laquan McDonald, the Chicago Urban League is calling for calm and mutual respect.

While we understand the feelings of outrage, distrust, and fear that stem from the growing imposition of violence by police officers who are sworn to protect and serve – we are asking the community to await a thorough and transparent review of the evidence and facts to ensure justice is served. In order to honor his life, one year later, we must take meaningful action and fight for decisive change.

We encourage productive dialogue and civic engagement, and invite people to share their thoughts at the Chicago Urban League Facebook forum page.

The muted and too often opaque action around the killings of our youngest citizens, including Laquan McDonald, Tyshawn Lee, Rekia Boyd and hundreds of others, paints an ominous picture: In Chicago, the most segregated city in the United States, Black lives don’t seem to matter enough to police and too often to each other.  Our community is in peril.

What is going on in Chicago where too many unarmed Black people are subjected to disproportionate violence and killings? This is the discussion on which we need to focus.

The Chicago Urban League and other organizational leaders will be actively engaged in the process of reform to reduce and ultimately prevent these kinds of incidents.”

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