Creative Commons offers solidarity and joins the millions around the world who are mourning the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Nina Pop, Ahmaud Arbery, and others. We recognize that they are the latest victims of systemic racism and institutionalized violence not only in the United States but globally, prompting anti-racism and anti-police brutality protests in over 30 countries; from Australia to Mexico to Turkey. CC stands with those grieving and protesting against these injustices against Black people, and with those fighting for justice, representation, and equality around the world.

Our community continually challenges us to be more critical of the social, political, legal, and economic systems in which we work. At last year’s CC Global Summit, open community members Adele Vrana and Siko Bouterse encouraged us to ask, “Whose Knowledge?” This simple yet important question challenged us to face the persistent injustices and inequalities that have infected the internet since its creation, leading to some voices being raised and others being silenced. Of course, this digital world is a reflection—and sometimes a magnification—of our physical world, and the issues and barriers people regularly encounter online often mirror their realities offline. 

As a leader in the open internet and open access movement, we recognize our responsibility to counter discrimination and racism within ourselves, our organization, our global network, and the communities in which we participate. We must do more to lend our allyship and resources to help end the centuries of injustice that have led to the murder and oppression of Black, Indigenous, and people of color across the globe.