Columbus Urban League Statement on Casey Goodson Jr.

The following is a statement from Stephanie Hightower, President & CEO of the Columbus Urban League, on the shooting death of Casey Goodson and the ongoing investigation:

“Your Columbus Urban League is in mourning. That the life of Casey Goodson Jr. was taken. That we’ve lost yet another young life, tragically. That racial injustice continues to plague our city.

“While I appreciate the recent statements from our community leaders and elected officials, we must more importantly listen to the voices that have been held down for years by policies that reinforce and often embolden systemic racism. As 2020 has clearly shown, the time for reform is now. The time for a truly reimagined public safety effort is now.

“The death of Casey Goodson Jr. is not an isolated incident. It’s one of reasons that so many in our community demand swift justice, even when we know that the wheels of justice move slowly. Ultimately, we hope the work of the Department of Justice, FBI and CPD will find the truth above all else and will, as US Attorney DeVillers stated, ‘follow the facts wherever they may lead.’

“Our prayers are with the family of Casey Goodson Jr., as they are with so many other families grieving, unnecessarily. We must put an end to the senseless deaths of Black people across our country. No investigation, no statements and no media reports will solve that issue – WE must solve it.

“As I said back in May and repeat today, we cannot move fast enough to embrace personal and collective change. Let’s be sure that our pursuit of justice and equity resounds far more loudly today and tomorrow, than the deafening silence too often chosen in our past.”