Less than one hour away from where we live in Boulder, CO, Elijah McClain was killed by the Aurora Police Department. Elijah was walking home from a convenience store where he was picking up an iced tea for his brother when somebody called reporting a suspicious person. Elijah was wearing a mask to keep warm due to anemia. He was unarmed and had not committed any sort of crime. Within 15 minutes of officers arriving, they tackled him to the ground, put him in a carotid chokehold, and called first responders who injected him with ketamine. Elijah went into cardiac arrest and died three days later.  He was 23 years old.  


The policemen responsible for this killing have yet to be held accountable.


We have decided to walk 23 miles to honor Elijah’s life and raise money for The Equal Justice Initiative.  The (EJI) is a nonprofit, human rights organization committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, challenging racial and economic injustice, and protecting the basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.


From the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama, 


“For the hanged and beaten, for the shot, drowned, and burned. For the tortured, tormented, and terrorized. For those abandoned by the rule of law. 


We will remember.


With hope because hopelessness is the enemy of justice. With courage because peace requires bravery. With persistence because justice is a constant struggle. With faith because we shall overcome.”