We are saddened and angered by the murder of George Floyd, yet another example of the prevalent racial injustice and inequality in our country.
Recent incidents have shown the crucial role that video footage plays. Before cell phone cameras, these realities were largely ignored by the media and the public, the trauma held only by the families and communities of the victims. To so many of us, George Floyd’s murder would have been invisible.
Family homelessness is also often considered to be invisible. Not coincidentally, the majority of children and families who experience homelessness are people of color, and nearly half are African American. This is a tragedy and a national disgrace.
These two bitter truths, the murder of black citizens by those in power and the disproportionate deprivation of housing and wealth for people of color come from the same root—institutional and systemic racism.
At Family Promise, we have known the numbers, and we have known the history of redlining and housing discrimination, and we have known that racism is the reason why the majority of those we serve are people of color.
But we have much more work to do to make these truths visible. We have more work to do to change this reality. We must do better at committing ourselves to addressing the racism that robs so many children of their housing, of their opportunities, of their futures. And ultimately, in far too many cases, of their lives.
To our community, and most importantly, to families of color who are hurting: please know that we stand with you and we will fight for you. We will listen, learn, and act.
We commit to visibility in all that we do and will not stop until race no longer defines who has housing.
