In this Black History Month 2021, we remember the summer of 2020.

It began with video evidence of Central Park bird watcher Christian Cooper, being harassed after asking a woman to leash her dog, as required in the park. Cooper — who also happens to be a member of the Star Trek family, creating Yoshi Mishima for Marvel Comics, the first openly gay Star Trek character — then had his life put at risk by the woman, who called the police and specifically indicated that she was being threatened by an “African American male." The charges against her (a single misdemeanor) has since been dropped, after Cooper completed a 'therapeutic' program on racial biases. Video then surfaced of an incident on May 25th, in which George Floyd was killed by four officers of the Minneapolis police department.

Of course, we also understand that the murder of George Floyd is not the first evidence — on camera or not — of how dangerous it can be for Black people of all nationalities to interact with law enforcement in America.

Star Trek has always represented the hope of a better future for humankind, and we understand that until it's understood that Black lives do matter, that future cannot be achieved. Please join us this February, and year-round, in supporting Black Lives Matter's call for a sustainable transition in our communities.