Raimondo: 'We All Need To Be More Honest About Privilege'

PROVIDENCE, RI — In the wake of a weekend of protests across the country and in Rhode Island calling for racial justice and equality, Gov. Gina Raimondo applauded the peaceful protest at the State House and called for an end to violence. The governor denounced President Donald Trump's encouragement for "domination" when responding to protests, saying "that kind of rhetoric incites anger and violence."

"All of us need to do whatever we can to ratchet down the violence and ratchet up listening with empathy," Raimondo said.

The governor said she acknowledges her privilege as a white woman, saying that although she grew up in a lower-income household and had to "work [her] tail off" to get where she is today, she has never had to personally overcome the hurdles of racial discrimination.

"I don't know what it's like, because of the color of my skin, to be afraid to walk into a convenient store at night," she said. "I just need to be honest about that. ... I think about myself as a person who is not prejudiced, I'm not ... But I think we all need to be more honest and check our privilege."

A crowd of approximately 1,000 people gathered at the State House in Providence Saturday, holding signs reading "Black Lives Matter" and calling for justice for George Floyd, whose death sparked nationwide protests and riots after he was pinned by a Minneapolis police officer.

Raimondo said she was very proud of the protesters for, in general, wearing masks and attempting to remain socially distance, saying she "commended" them.

"It made me proud to be a Rhode Islander," Raimondo said.

Providence police echoed this sentiment, saying on Facebook that Rhode Island has set a "trend and positive example for other cities around the country proving that together we can make a difference."

The governor went on to say that First Amendment rights to peaceful assembly are the "core of American democracy" and that she supports them, but urges everyone doing so to following social distancing guidelines to preserve public health during the coronavirus pandemic.

Raimondo's approach goes against that of President Trump, who she said encouraged strong tactics to deal with protests in a call with governors Monday morning. She called this the wrong approach, saying it only leads to more anger and violence.

The issues that protests address, such as inequalities in health care, income, housing and more have been brought to light more than ever by the pandemic, Raimondo said.

"Racism existed before COVID," she said. "COVID has exacerbated it in many ways."

Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, the director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, said the department and state government have long been dedicated to addressing these inequalities.

"Our vision is that everyone has a chance to be healthy, regardless of zip code, race, insurance or sexual identity," Alexander-Scott said.