Pledge: We Go Together
As Black and Brown DC residents, we know that we are safer when we go together. Right now is a time to always travel with a partner, and to have each other’s backs. Take the We Go Together pledge with our partner Harriet’s Wildest Dreams.
Background
Our strength has always been in numbers — watching each other’s backs, moving together, refusing to be separated. This is how we fought back.
Throughout history, our people found ways to survive: Enslaved Africans traveled at night in small groups guided by those who knew the land; civil rights organizers moved in pairs to protect each other from the Klan and the police; and neighborhood aunties kept watch from porches to make sure children got home safe. We know that the safety of our youth depends on all of us. As the African proverb says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” By committing to this pledge, we honor that responsibility.
Right now in DC, our communities are under heightened surveillance and policing, and it’s not safe for Black people to move alone. We’re seeing increased patrols, checkpoints, and law enforcement presence in neighborhoods. That’s why we’re urging everyone to move together, watch each other’s backs, and remain accountable to a safety partner because we are safer when we are not alone.
When the state wants control, the first thing it takes is our ability to move freely and look out for one another. They try to make us believe we can't protect ourselves, but we know the truth: We Keep Us Safe! We are stronger together and we're most at risk when we're alone.
That’s why we’re launching the We Go Together Campaign. When you sign this pledge, you commit to:
Don’t go it alone. When walking through your neighborhood, running errands or moving under heavy policing, move with someone you trust.
Choose your safety partner. Pick someone you trust to move with.
Check in with each other. Let your partner know when you leave and when you arrive.
Have each other’s backs. If your partner doesn’t check in, follow up until you know they’re safe.
We honor the legacy of those who came before us. We protect each other in the present. We move forward as one. We go together.