Our Statements

Monday, January 30, 2023 – This past Friday, the city of Memphis released bodycam footage of the fatal police beating of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols during a traffic stop, inciting protests and dialogue throughout the country.

The Center for Family Representation (CFR) stands in support of the Black community and against the systemic racism and violence that too often cost Black people their lives. Research shows that 1 in every 1,000 Black men will be killed by police and that unarmed Black people are 3.5 times more likely than white people to be killed by police. Additionally, experts have indicated that the race of officers involved in acts of violence is much less important than the race of the victim. No one – including the five Black police officers who fatally attacked Nichols – are immune to the historically racist culture of policing.

Furthermore, we acknowledge the anguish and trauma that many Black people feel from constant exposure to images and video footage of police violence against members of their community. Nichols’ murder is another painful reminder of the fact that Black and Brown people in this country are targets of prejudice, harassment, and violence every day.

CFR primarily serves Black and Brown people who have been failed by the very systems meant to protect their families – but instead perpetuate cruelty and racism. We are committed to working toward a world where all families – particularly Black families – can live without the traumas of separation and violence.