June 8, 2020

This is a somber time in America. Once again, tragically, a Black man was needlessly and senselessly killed on the streets of his community by those whose very job it is to protect the public. There was no reason for George Floyd to die, or Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, New York’s Eric Garner, or the numerous others who remain un-named or whose stories never rose to the attention of the press. But each killing is a tragedy, a scar on what our country stands for.

The New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NYSCADV) is outraged, frustrated, and angry. We mourn and grieve with the nation for the loss of these individuals’ lives and their futures. We remain resolute – resolute in our mission to march alongside domestic violence advocates, domestic violence survivors, domestic violence statewide coalitions, allies and stakeholders to address the institutionalized racism, oppression and discrimination embedded in our institutions and systems. We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, and our national, state, tribal, territorial and local partners. We commit to joining hands to end systemic racism everywhere. We must work together to dismantle the systems of oppression that enable all forms of violence to occur.

As a leader in the movement to end domestic violence, NYSCADV understands this is no easy task. We know that race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, immigration status, sexual orientation, class and/or disability based oppressions do not act independent of one another. We know that racism, sexism, heterosexism, classism, adultism, and ableism are interconnected. It permeates our institutions, our schools and universities, our health care facilities, our courts and criminal justice system, our government and our workplaces. It’s the reason why more people of color are arrested, why more people of color are incarcerated, why more people of color who say they are victimized or abused are not believed when they seek help from law enforcement, and why more people of color who are ill are unable to obtain health care. We must resolve to change all these forms of injustice and prejudice.

For more than 40 years, NYSCADV has been committed to pursuing anti-violence and anti-oppression work from an intersectional lens. We are re-doubling our efforts to ensure the principles of anti-oppression, accessibility, and intersectionality underlie everything we do. We will work harder to elevate the experiences and voices of survivors and those living at the margins. And, we join the National Network to End Domestic Violence in its commitment to “lift each other up, to embrace the transformational change that is needed, unite together to seek justice, and support ways to heal.”

Sincerely,

NYSCADV