The police have way too much money, and there are companies that want to make sure that they get even more. Unfortunately, we’re probably giving money to these companies without knowing it – and it’s hurting us in more ways than one. And where we live has everything to do with it.
It’s bad enough oil companies poison Black communities through pollution and environmental racism, but they’re also giving funds to the police! Even though cities and municipalities are already giving the police too much, these companies funnel MORE money to cops.
An investigation by the Public Accountability Initiative found that oil companies like Shell, Chevron, and Marathon donate to police foundations. These groups bankroll police forces while extracting from and gentrifying Black communities! This hurts extra bad right now.
Black people are dying disproportionately from coronavirus (COVID-19) in part because we’re segregated to communities that are polluted by these corporations! It’s sinister that they donate to the police on top of killing us with pollution, but then say “Black lives matter.”
Police have a lot of backing to make sure they’re able to go about their business as usual. This isn’t an innocent institution, it’s a deeply entrenched form of white supremacy that’s taking resources directly from our communities – and it has help from companies who are doing the same.