This week we have seen the heightened pain, anger, and frustration over the most recent deaths of Black people, in particular George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. Whether at the hands of police or others, Black and African American people are justifiably outraged at the historical legacy of racism, injustice and discrimination.
WDI is about social and economic justice. There is no social and economic justice without racial justice. As we do every day in our work to support working families, we will not remain silent while there is injustice. Naming the racism that has brought us so many deaths, discrimination, and economic disparity is one small step in the work needed to undo our collective history of inequities for Black and African American people. While our niche is about workers, our underlying values demand we be engaged in the lives of our whole communities to make sure they are healthy and secure for all.
WDI is listening, learning and growing from the intense vulnerability, feelings, and demands of our colleagues, partners, and communities for whom these murders are most traumatic, knowing it is not just their issue. It is all of America’s, New York’s, WDI’s and each of us as individuals.
We stand together against racism, in outrage and hope.
Ed Murphy
Executive Director
