Statement of CSPI president Dr. Peter G. Lurie

In February, Ahmaud Arbery was murdered by armed vigilantes. In March, Breonna Taylor was killed by police in her home. And last week, George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis. More than 150 years since the abolition of slavery, institutionalized racism continues to threaten the lives and well-being of African Americans. It is that same structural racism that has placed African Americans and other underserved communities at higher risk of infection and death from COVID-19 during the pandemic.

We recognize that the outrage, anxiety, fear, and sadness we’ve seen in Minneapolis and cities across the country comes from deep grief and pain. The staff of the Center for Science in the Public Interest and I are mourning alongside the many millions of Americans who are affected by structural racism. We stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and commit to fighting racism and ignorance in all its forms.

Contact Info:  Contact Jeff Cronin (jcronin[at]cspinet.org) or Richard Adcock (radcock[at]cspinet.org).