Saturday, June 6, in a wide-ranging, powerful conversation, Kandace Montgomery, Director, Organizers with Black Visions; Miski Noor, Organizer, Organizers with Black Visions; and Mary Hooks, Director, Southerners on New Ground (S.O.N.G.) joined Kirsten West Savali, Executive Producer, ESSENCE to discuss what it means to defund police and defend Black and Noor joined us live from the uprising in Minnesota, while Hooks joined us from Georgia.

The dynamic organizers discussed not only defunding the police, but also white supremacy being a party crasher, agents infiltrating the movement, why we must lift up Black women and Black trans folks when we talk about defending all Black lives, why Donald Trump most resign, and more.

Earlier this week, ESSENCE announced that we stand in solidarity with the Movement for Black Lives to amplify the organization’s work for the liberation of Black people, including their Week of Action which concluded Uprising — The community and comrades take to the streets in support of George Floyd (Movement for Black Lives)

M4BL’s demands are clear:

We demand the rights of protestors be respected.

“The collaboration between ESSENCE and Movement for Black Lives illustrates a powerful collaboration to educate, politicize and move people to take action to defend Black lives.”

TOPICS: In Defense of Black Lives In Defense of Black Lives Movement for Black LIves Organizers with Black Visions S.O.N.G. Southerners On New Ground