A statement on the death of George Floyd

Fundamentally, nuclear weapons challenge humankind’s right to be “free from fear” – one of the four freedoms outlined by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  But the death of George Floyd and so many others before him make clear that many black and brown Americans are unable to live free from daily fear or to fully enjoy other American freedoms given the systemic racism and structural inequalities in our country.  And the violent reaction to the protests in some parts of the United States is challenging another of the cherished freedoms enshrined in the U.S. constitution and in Roosevelt’s vision: freedom of speech and peaceable assembly.  It is past time for all people of good will to join in working to correct these wrongs and build a world of peace and justice in which all people can live in dignity, with their rights respected, and free from fear and want.  Those focusing on other policy issues, from nuclear weapons to climate change, cannot ignore the fundamental needs for justice and democracy – and must work themselves to build just, diverse, and inclusive communities.

As Doug Elmendorf, dean of the Harvard Kennedy School, has said, “one of the core values of the School is belief in the worth of each person regardless of their race and other characteristics. We must hold true to that value in everything we do—as we work with and learn from each other, and as we apply our skills and knowledge to make a more just society.”

—Matthew Bunn

• A movement greater than this tragic moment: Resources from Harvard Kennedy School Faculty
• Racial Justice, Racial Equity, and Anti-Racism Reading List