The news of this President’s bigotry only worsens.

Last month, Americans witnessed the tragic killing of George Floyd at the hands of a rogue police officer and our hearts were awakened to the bigotry people of color face every day. Then and now, Mr. Trump continues to fan the flames of racial divide, whether it’s disrupting peaceful protests with an out-sized military response, or rushing to protect Confederate statues, or launching racial attacks on NASCAR and its only Black driver, Bubba Wallace.

 Why would he do this?

 Most likely it is distraction from the things he has not done to heal the American divide, like fixing the racial, housing, educational, and income inequalities that have persisted for so many of our people – and disproportionately for people of color – for so long.

 I think we all agree we cannot remain silent in the face of continued bigotry.

 Like so many of you, I’ve come to the important conclusion we cannot turn away until we figure out what it’s going to take for this nation to end such bigotry, because when George Floyd said the words “I Can’t Breathe,” our collective breath was being taken away.  

 Each of us, whether White or Black, rich or poor, gay or straight, must take personal responsibility for stopping bigotry when we face it.  And it starts with one simple question: What one thing are we willing to do to fight systemic racism?

  It starts by speaking out. We all have a chance to change the arc of our history, to be “the change we have been looking for,” as President Obama once said. But each of us has to take personal responsibility to make that happen.

 Our nation is founded on the principle of ‘all men being created equal.’ Let’s give it more than lip service: let’s finally do something about it. Now is the time to commit that we will root out racism in every aspect of our society. No more suspending Black and Brown kids more than Whites for the same classroom misbehavior. Our kids deserve better. No more paying minority workers less than their counterparts for doing the same work. Our co-workers and employees deserve better. And yes, no more police interactions that force us to remember senseless tragedies like Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown, and Trayvon Martin, and, Rayshard Brooks. They deserved better.

 Let’s commit to tearing down the structures of systemic racism in our society and finally live up to the promise of America - for all people once and for all. The Black community deserves nothing less. George Floyd and his family deserve nothing less. Justice requires nothing less.

 (Excerpts of this were taken from a speech Mr. McNamara, Chairman of the Rhode Island Democratic Party, gave at a recent State Party Convention.)