Fighting Injustice to Strengthen Communities

To our members,

Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Aubery, Breonna Taylor, and the countless others who have lost lives and suffered indignities because of the color of their skin.The pain is especially deep and prolonged when the suffering is a direct result of hate and injustice. The roots of racism run deep in our country, and we feel the anguish of both our past and our present.

Our mission at the Y is to strengthen communities. And strong communities cannot exist or thrive when racial injustice prevails. As such, we have a responsibility to challenge and change the social structures that so deeply institutionaAlize racism. The pervasive and silent ways that discrimination permeates our society too often go unchecked, and the impact is felt daily.

Our collective challenge is to change this course. We can redefine our daily actions and behaviors, big and small, to create the world we want to live in. Support for major policy to promote equality and justice will pave the way for real and lasting change; and daily gestures of respect, though small, will add up.

Our even greater challenge is to bridge the gap of understanding and find ways to connect to our underlying humanity. We know the answers aren’t simple or linear, but we will keep fighting for this change together. We are committed, not only to acknowledging racial injustice, but to actively working for change.We stand in solidarity with our colleagues, families, friends and neighbors of color — today, tomorrow and always.