These Stories Must Be Heard

“In the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it that America has failed to hear?”

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

We believe with all our hearts in the power of stories to create change.

But change cannot happen if those stories are not heard.

At Living Proof Advocacy, we stand in solidarity with those who are protesting injustice and racism, and we will continue to support and defend the right of the unheard to be heard—especially those whose stories and lived experiences of violence have been systematically and intentionally squelched, dismissed, erased, rewritten, devalued and defamed. Black stories matter.

The growing number of journalists who are being prevented from documenting and amplifying these stories is deeply disturbing. We echo the international nonprofit Committee to Protect Journalists and call on local authorities across the U.S. to exempt journalists from curfew restrictions and to ensure police do not target them. These stories must be heard.

Finally, we are committed to deepening our own work to support organizations and advocates who are sharing first-person stories to combat racism and ensure a just nation for all. Together, we will make a difference.

Tim Cage and John Capecci, cofounders