BLACK VETERANS DEMAND JUSTICE FOR AIRMAN SLAIN BY POLICE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 10, 2024
MEDIA CONTACT
Clyde Gunter
BLACK VETERANS DEMAND JUSTICE FOR AIRMAN SLAIN BY POLICE
FORT WALTON BEACH, FL – Common Defense, the nation’s largest grassroots veterans organization, and its Black Veterans Caucus, strongly condemn the wrongful and unacceptable shooting of Roger Fortson, a Black United States Air Force airman. Airman Fortson's unjust death serves as a stark reminder of the systemic, racist violence committed against the Black community by police. For far too many Black communities everyday life in America is a battlefield where they can be shot or assaulted while driving to work, getting groceries, attending church, or even simply residing within their own homes.
“Watching the bodycam footage left me devastated. As a Black man and military veteran, I was shaken to my core as I saw the video of a service member who looked like me. If military members and veterans are not safe in their own homes because police cannot or will not do better then no one in this country is safe from police violence and that is not the America that I signed up to defend. Our hearts are heavy, and our thoughts are with those mourning the loss of a beloved son, friend, and brother in arms.” – Lamar Banks, Army Veteran and Co-Chair of Common Defense’s Black Veterans Caucus
“As members of Common Defense's Black Veterans Caucus, we stand in solidarity with Roger Fortson's family, friends, and the entire community in condemning his senseless and tragic murder. Mr. Fortson’s shooting underscores the pervasive systemic challenges that disproportionately impact Black Americans. We renew our commitment to advocating for justice, equity, and a system that actively works to prevent such needless acts of violence in our communities. We must finally address the plague of police violence, overreach, and impunity that has infested American policing—a plague that continues to kill our citizens because police choose to shoot first and ask questions second, murdering or maiming civilians in their wake.” – Britni Cuington, Air Force Veteran and Co-Chair of Common Defense’s Black Veterans Caucus
Common Defense demands a full and robust investigation by the Department of Justice into this unjust killing of a United States Service Member and we will continue to mobilize veterans across the country to confront systemic racism and police violence in America.
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Common Defense is a grassroots, veteran-led organization founded in 2016. We empower veterans to stand up for our communities against the rising tide of racism, hate, and violence, to organize against the entrenched power of greedy billionaires who have rigged our economy, and to champion an equitable and representative democracy where “liberty and justice” truly is for all. For too long, politicians from both political parties have attempted to use veterans as unwilling political props. Common Defense serves as a home for veterans to organize and speak for themselves and support the candidates who genuinely share our values. The candidates we endorse reflect our values as an organization, and our member-driven endorsement process ensures that the candidates have grassroots support.