FORGE joins with many others across the country and world to express our deep pain about continued violence and other systemic injustices directed at Black and Brown people.
George Floyd is one of too many Black and Brown individuals who have lost their lives, experienced physical and verbal violence by police and others in “authority,” and borne the brunt of unfair profiling and biased behaviors.
In addition, we recognize that many lives lost from police violence are often unrecognized or mis-categorized – including the life of Black trans man Tony McDade, who was killed by police in Tallahassee, Florida, last week.
We acknowledge and bear witness to the anguish, anger, and despair of those who have directly and indirectly experienced these profound injustices.
We recognize the historical and ongoing traumas caused by systemic racism and by implicit and explicit bias. We acknowledge the profound and long-lasting impact these traumas have on both individual lives and the health of communities.
As we remain agile, we will also stay true to our trauma-informed approach that recognizes complex intersections of identities and experiences of violence and discrimination based on multiple components of who we are. We continue our work of providing support services to all who need them, including those who are in the streets now and all of us who are needed to build and re-vision a new future.
We align in solidarity with Black communities and other communities of color and vow to continue to demand and work for justice and fundamental reform.
FORGE Team