On Anti-Racism and Safe Streets

Our Coalition was created to bring more safety and choices to Providence streets – but our work must go beyond infrastructure. The brutality of police departments across the country to Black lives, people of color, and protestors makes our streets and public spaces unsafe. As the killings of Black Americans show time after time, not everyone enjoys equal freedom to move on our streets.

Our individual and collective mobility is directly tied to personal liberation and justice. Transportation has long been a central element in the broader fight for racial justice, and it is long past time that racial justice be placed at the heart of transportation advocacy. Transportation policy has always had a divisive and destructive role in land use and city development patterns. Dividing cities based on race is entrenched. We see our work as part of the struggle for reconnecting our neighborhoods and we are committed to undoing unjust ways of operating in order to make our streets safe, equitable, and accessible to each and every Providence resident and visitor.

But it is impossible for us to achieve our goals without helping dismantle the racist social structures that have been perpetuated for generations. From police brutality to traffic casualties to broken criminal justice, Black people are detained, assaulted, and killed in public spaces at a horrifyingly disproportionate rate, year after year after year. This must end now. Black lives matter.

The Providence Streets Coalition seeks to operate with accountability to and solidarity with all marginalized communities to break down the violent and oppressive systems of white supremacy. We embrace change, growth, and the challenges that come with it, and welcome constructive feedback when we have fallen short in upholding cross-movement solidarity. For those whose voices have been silenced in the past, we hear you, and we’re listening.

But we know that words are not enough. Please take action with us today:

Donate:

Sign:

Vote & Participate:

  • The Rhode Island Primary is September 8th, and the General Election is November 3rd. Register here.
  • The Providence City Council’s Finance Committee is meeting tonight, June 9th, at 5:30pm on Zoom. We expect the Police Department budget for 2021 will be discussed.

 Read:

Listen:

 

Signed, members of the Providence Streets Coalition:

*note, many of our Coalition partners and supporters have released their own statements in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. For a complete list of Providence Streets Coalition members, go here.