If You Want Our Vote, You Better Deliver Justice: The Call to Action for Columbus Elected Officials

Black Columbus is angry and fed up with the systemic racism that continues to plague our city. We are tired of being treated as second-class citizens and being killed by the police without any consequences. If our elected officials want to be reelected, they need to bring justice for Donovan Lewis they need to do it now.

Donovan Lewis was a 20-year-old Black man who was shot and killed by a white police officer on August 30, 2022. The police claimed that Lewis was armed and posed a threat, but after officer body-worn camera footage was released and Columbus Police Chief Elanie Bryant did a play-by-play in slow motion. We saw that he was awakened by the loudness and only had a vape pen. The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and the decision on whether to file charges against the officer involved is expected to be announced soon.

Black Columbus is tired of waiting for justice. We have seen too many cases where police officers have killed Black people without any consequences. We have seen too many cases where the justice system has failed us. We are tired of being told to "wait for justice" while those who are supposed to protect and serve us go unpunished.

We are sick and tired of being sick and tired. We are tired of being killed and lynched by racist police officers. We are tired of living in fear every time we interact with the police. We are tired of our lives not being valued.

If our elected officials want to be reelected, they need to understand that they are accountable to the people who elected them. They need to listen to our concerns and work to create a more just society. They need to take action to address the systemic racism that plagues our city and our country.

The fact that we have to demand justice for Donovan Lewis shows how little value our lives hold in the eyes of those in power. The fact that we have to fear for our lives every time we interact with the police is a testament to the systemic racism that permeates our society. We need to demand change, and we need to demand it now.

We need to support organizations that are fighting for justice and equality for Black people. We need to educate ourselves on our rights and how to protect ourselves from the police. We need to vote for politicians who will listen to our concerns and work to create a more just society.

In this election year, our elected officials need to understand that they need to bring justice for Donovan Lewis if they want to be reelected. They need to listen to the concerns of the Black community and work to create a more just society. They need to understand that if there is no justice, there will be no peace.

They need to understand that we will not continue to let them pimp us out just for votes. That’s been a practice and pattern of the past but today it stops!

Black Columbus is not going to sit back and wait for justice. We are going to demand it. We are going to protest. We are going to make our voices heard. We will not be silenced.

We need to demand accountability from our elected officials. We need to demand that they take action to address the systemic racism that permeates our society. We need to demand that they listen to our concerns and work to create a more just society.

The fact that we have to demand justice for Donovan Lewis is a tragedy. We should not have to fight for our lives. We should not have to live in fear. We should not have to demand that our elected officials do their damn jobs.

But we will fight. We will fight for justice. We will fight for equality. We will fight for our lives. And if there is no justice, there will be no peace.

Our elected officials need to understand that they are accountable to us. They need to understand that if they want to be reelected, they need to bring justice for Donovan Lewis. They need to understand that if there is no justice, there will be no peace.

But now, we are calling on all of those elected officials who are up for re-election this year, Shannon Hardin, Nick Bankston, Shayla Favors, Emmanuel Remey, Rob Dorans, and Lourdes Barroso De Padilla to finally bring justice for Donovan Lewis. It's time for them to show us that they are truly on our side and that they are willing to fight for what is right. It's time for them as my grandma used to say, “Get some ‘DAMN’ skin in the game.

We need action, not just words. We need accountability, not just promises. We need justice, not just excuses. We need an indictment of Rickey Anderson! And we need it now.

We are sick and tired of being sick and tired. We are tired of watching our brothers and sisters being killed and lynched by racist police officers who are supposed to protect us. We are tired of living in fear every time we step out of our homes. We are tired of being treated like second-class citizens in our own damn country.

We have had enough. Enough of the bullshit. Enough of the empty promises. Enough of the systemic racism and oppression. Enough is enough.

Donovan Lewis deserved better. He deserved to be alive and well today. He deserved to be holding his child and watching his child grow up. He deserved to live his life to the fullest, without fear of being killed by those who are supposed to serve and protect him.

But he didn't get that chance. So now it's up to us to continue to demand justice for him. It's up to us to make sure that his death was not in vain. It's up to us to hold those responsible accountable for their actions.

And if those elected officials who are up for re-election this year don't step up and do what's right, then we will not be voting for them. We will not stand for their empty promises and their lack of action. We will not let them continue to ignore the cries of Donovan's mother, his family, and Black Columbus.

If they want our vote, they need to earn it. They need to show us that they are on our side. They need to show us that they are willing to fight for justice and equality for all. They need to show us that they are willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that what happened to Donovan Lewis never happens again.

We are watching. We are listening. And we will not be silenced. The time for change is now. The time for justice is now. And we will not rest until we get it!

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