Want to be a member of HRE USA? JOIN TODAY

A network dedicated to building a culture of human rights

HRE USA Upholds Black Lives

by

HRE USA and the UCCHRE Unite to Condemn the murder of George Floyd and Uphold Black Lives.

As networks dedicated to building a culture of human rights, Human Rights Educators-USA and the University and College Consortium for Human Rights Education share the grief, sadness, and anger at the death of George Floyd, whose killing follows so closely on that of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many others. These deaths at the hands of law enforcement are indicative of a widespread and systematic violation of the human rights of Black members of our community. Transforming the racist policies and practices of our institutions, which are rooted in centuries of white supremacy, will require more than just the arrest, prosecution, and conviction of the direct perpetrators of these murders; it will also require sustained commitment to challenging systems of oppression in all aspects of our society.

Toward that end, we support the efforts of protesters around the country to demand accountability from police and politicians, and condemn those leaders, including the President of the United States, who exploit white resentment and racist divisions to further their own power.  At this moment, we see clearly that a threat of the rights of one group is a threat to the rights of all and that all human rights are indeed interconnected.

In our work as networks, we believe in the value of human rights education in supporting and building the capacity of our communities. We also believe that human rights extend beyond the classroom and are only strengthened in practice. We educate about, through, and for human rights so that communities everywhere will be able to exercise their rights and call out injustice when they see it.  We believe that right now, we must continue to call out injustice as educators in the efforts to call out systemic racism and advocate for Black lives. 

As a starting point, we offer some collections of resources for educators:

We are grateful for the generous support of our members, individual donors, and The Puffin Foundation Ltd
The core values of HRE USA and its partner organizations include transparency and critical thinking skills. We believe that human rights--and human rights education--belong to everyone, and that the full realization of human rights means that access to human rights education materials must never be conditioned upon the subscription to any particular religious faith, ideology, political affiliation, or membership in any particular organization and that any organizational connections should be openly acknowledged.