CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield
August 27, 2023
11:21 a.m. Eastern
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD: What are your thoughts today, especially after hearing even more details about how the suspect targeted black people, left behind evidence that he hated them, and even with swastikas on his guns?
WISDOM COLE, NAACP YOUTH AND COLLEGE DIVISION: Today brings feelings of deep sorrow and grief, but also brings a lot of questions. To the governor who has waged war on black America, we must ask: How many lives must be lost in the hands of white supremacy before you choose to put people over your political agenda? To the federal lawmakers who refuse to act, how many lives must be claimed at the hands of inaction before you pick up the pen and do your job? What kind of world are we creating for our children?
You know, there is an HBCU nearby where young people are now feeling traumatized and struggling to go back to school because they are in an area where they see themselves being the targets. Young people I serve are tired. They're tired of living in fear. They're tired of witnessing violence. But, most of all, they're tired of their so-called leaders who refuse to protect them.