In the wake of the events in Charlottesville, people are calling for the dismantling of racist monuments nationwide. It's time for Philadelphia to take down a statue of a man who played a key role in perpetuating white supremacy: Frank Rizzo.

Frank Rizzo served as police commissioner from 1968 to 1971 and as mayor of Philadelphia from 1972 to 1980. During his tenure as police commissioner, Rizzo was known for targeting our black communities, with his crackdown approach to policing resulting in countless cases of police brutality. During a 1967 protest by students demanding a black history class, Rizzo led officers in an assault where schoolchildren were beaten with nightsticks. He also unlawfully raided the Philadelphia offices of the Black Panther Party and strip searched Black Panther members in an act of humiliation that received global coverage.

As mayor, Rizzo used the police to raid a house occupied by MOVE, a black liberation group. In an incident that was televised on local news stations, one of the members was beaten, brutalized, and dragged across the floor as he left the house with his hands raised.

Frank Rizzo's era of intimidation is still felt today -- his "tough on crime" approach to policing and governing set the standard for politicians after him. His statue near City Hall is a constant reminder of the damage he caused to our black communities.

In Charlottesville, we saw that white supremacy promotes a culture of violence -- the same culture of violence that Frank Rizzo thrived in. Join us today in demanding that Mayor Kenney and members of City Council take down a monument of a racist figure in Philadelphia's history.