Hello,

I am writing to encourage the City of Conway's Diversity Council to vote in favor of a round-table discussion to address policing in our city.

Community leaders and your constituents have been calling for a public forum to discuss this issue since the murder of Lionel Morris at the hands of the Conway Police, as well as the public outcry for justice after the murder of George Floyd in May of 2020.

What remains clear is that systemic racism is alive and well in our local police department and across our state.

We can see from footage out of Mulberry, Arkansas, where three police officers brutally assaulted a man. This could happen in Conway. We are not free from police brutality.

Not talking about this issue will not make the problems disappear. If this Diversity Council really is committed to community relationships, trust, and transparency, then you will do the right thing.

Our testimonies, concerns, and comments deserve to be heard. We deserve a government that listens to us. We deserve a safe city for everyone.