It’s been about two months since a Minneapolis police officer murdered George Floyd.

In the weeks that have followed, Rhode Islanders have looked for productive ways to channel our sorrow, our horror, and our anger at a racist criminal justice system. It’s a system that treats Black and Brown Americans in a way that is unequal at best, and inhumane at worst. And it’s been that way for as long as any of us can remember.

Our underlying message is simple: Black lives matter.

In spreading this message, some of us have attended peaceful protests. Some have donated to organizations working to address systemic causes of inequality at their roots. Still others have taken to the internet, sharing support and awareness through hashtags and educational resources.

All of these avenues have their advantages and disadvantages. But it’s that last one – the realm of social media – that’s crucial to public discourse in the 21st century. And it’s the one where Mayor Allan Fung has been noticeably silent on this issue.

In a time when COVID-19 is ravaging the country’s health care system as well as its economy, focusing on what the mayor is or isn’t tweeting might seem trivial. It’s not.

Nowadays, the general public looks to social media accounts of elected officials for guidance and leadership. As the city’s top executive, Mayor Fung is no exception. His job is to show leadership, set expectations, and help shape public opinion. This work takes place both at City Hall and online.

Mayor Fung currently has almost 20,000 followers on his social media profiles across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. He uses these platforms regularly, posting about a wide range of local topics. His followers actively engage with him on these channels.

But since May 25, 2020 – the date of Floyd’s murder – he has not made one statement online affirming that Black lives matter, or condemning police brutality nationwide.

Instead, he’s used his platforms to send out updates regarding city curfews. He’s also publicly thanked the Cranston Police and other state agencies for their work in keeping the city safe. These were, of course, reactions to the looting that took place in Providence in early June, and threats of the same in Cranston: actions that mirrored a nationwide trend, and that were by and large a physical manifestation of the frustration created by obvious racial disparities at play in our society. By not verbalizing that Black lives matter in these instances, Mayor Fung chooses to ignore an entire side of the equation.

I’m no political strategist, so I won’t venture to guess what the reason for his silence could be. But as someone who was born and raised in Cranston – and someone who will always consider the city home – what I do know is that Cranston needs to be as vigilant as any other American city about protecting civil rights.

Safely situated so far away from the Mason-Dixon line, it’s tempting to think of Rhode Island as being immune from the dangers of unequal treatment. But the truth is, sometimes we’re backwards, too. Sometimes we get it wrong. After all, it was only eight years ago (!) that the city’s school district needed the ACLU to tell them that no, a prayer cannot be displayed on the wall of a public school. That’s embarrassing. It should serve as a wake-up call.

I believe that Mayor Fung cares about all Cranstonians. But if he truly feels that Cranston is “one of America’s Top 50 Cities,” as his profile pages so proudly boast, then it is crucial that he unequivocally and publicly state that Black lives matter. I implore Mayor Fung to do so, and thus set the right example for all residents of Cranston.

Patrick Durigan was born and raised in Cranston. He now lives and works in New York City.