Mike Brown. Eric Garner. John Crawford III. Ezell Ford.

These are the names of black boys and men who were tragically murdered by police this past summer. Names that we didn’t see in corporate media coverage are Yvette Smith, Eleanor Bumpurs, Aiyana Stanley-Jones, and Tarika Wilson, some of the black women who have also been murdered by law enforcement. There are thousands of other people who have been hurt or killed by systemic, discriminatory police brutality, in communities from Ferguson to New York City to Ohio to Los Angeles. And, while millions stood in solidarity with Mike Brown’s family and demanded justice, a grieving community was met with a brutal, militarized response.

We can no longer deny the epidemic of police violence. We can no longer allow for policies and practices that devalue black and brown lives and undermine racial justice.

This weekend in Ferguson, MO, the Center for Popular Democracy (CPD) will stand in solidarity with our partners and allies from Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment (MORE), the Organization for Black Struggle, and Hands Up United to call for justice and lasting change. Join us.

Policing and the U.S. criminal justice system disproportionately harm youth of color and their communities. In Missouri, for example, African Americans were 66% more likely than whites to be stopped by police in 2013, according to the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Similar disparities in stops and arrests exist across the nation.

Racial profiling and other biased policing damage public safety. Public safety is promoted by a different approach to policing, one based on cooperation and respect, not discriminatory targeting and harassment.

We, along with thousands of others, will be in Ferguson marching, rallying, and strategizing this weekend. Please support the movement and join us in-person or online by following @popdemoc and #fergusonoctober. If you can’t join us in person, consider making a donation to local organizations working for lasting change.