CPA Statement on Black Lives Matter

Dear CPA Members,

We are experiencing yet another grueling time. White supremacy has yet again legislated on the value, meaning and fate of black life. With the morbid villainy of their enjoyment, the very authorities supposed to keep all citizens safe have made the world bear witness to the condescending ease with which one can act as if black lives do not matter. 

The world is responding, following the lead of those primarily concerned. The actions of African Americans, of black people themselves, come from a long tradition. There is no place in this world where Africans and their offspring have remained inactive in the face of what strove to convince them they were neither humans nor persons. From the African shores when stored before the departure for America—Revolts, for, black lives mattered. Onto the slave ships— Revolts. Black lives mattered. As soon as they set foot on the plantations—marronage, revolts, Revolution. Black lives mattered. The tradition is planted. It is alive.

CPA is critically aware of the vertiginous successions of events, statements and actions ensuing from the murder of George Floyd. Our fight to combat ideologies such as the one expressed through the murder of George Floyd is continuous and daily. We are all too aware of the police killings of black women, black men and black children between 2012 and the present: of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Dreasjon Reed, Jamar Clark, Philando Castile, Tamir Rice, Laquan McDonald, Eric Garner, Stephon Clark, Redel Jones, Kenney Watkins, Michelle Shirley, Michael Brown, Ezell Ford, Trayvon Martin, Botham Jean, Ahmaud Arbery, to name only a few.

We call for the consolidation of our commitment to contribute to actively challenging anti-black racism, injustice and all ideologies hostile to the flourishing of the human kind in its full and rich diversality.

We therefore invite you, our dear members, to regroup through a support, sharing and reflective Zoom meeting on Wednesday, June 10th, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. EST. Our intellectual family will be stronger if we acknowledge together the impact of this calamity upon us individually and collectively, nationally and globally. The meeting will be facilitated by members of the CPA Executive Board and long-time participants in our organization. It will last for two hours and will be interactive, giving everyone the opportunity to express themselves. A Zoom link with a passcode will be sent to you shortly. We hope you will join us in reaffirming our common vision of shifting the geography of reason.

Warm regards,

Lonnè épi rèspé,

Hanétha Vété-Congolo, CPA President, on behalf of the Executive Board

To watch the video of our meeting, "The Caribbean Philosophical Association reflects on Black Lives Matter, Insurrection and the seen and unseen murders of Black People," please click here.