The League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area stands with millions of Americans in grieving the senseless murder of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Sean Reed, and countless other Black lives at the hands of law enforcement officers. These past few weeks have served as a stark reminder of this country’s pervasive systems of oppression and inequality. It is also worth noting that these protests come in the midst of a pandemic that is affecting African-American communities at a drastically disproportionate rate.

However, it is not enough to simply grieve and mourn—we must all work to remove racist policies and continue to educate ourselves. We will continue to work to amplify Black voices and empower voters. "It is time for us as a nation to do some introspection and see who we are and who we really want to be,” stated Anu Sahai, co-president of the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area. “We need to use the power of the ballot this November.” Check Vote411 to make sure your voter registration is up to date so you can vote. Your vote is your voice.