Thursday, Jun 4, 2020
On Sunday, community members will gather for a peaceful protest in honor of all our fallen black and brown men, women, and children. We share the anguish and disgust at the persistent racism and violence directed at people of color. We pray that George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others whose stories have not been published did not die in vain and that real change is finally at hand.
Yet, we know prayer alone is not enough. We encourage you to make your voices heard. Be courageous and convincing, while also proud, supportive, and protective of our community. Know that we can defeat hate by teaching love. In the words of Nelson Mandela:
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
With the protests and marches must come advocacy and action to change the laws, rules, and polices that codify injustices in our society. If we are to see long lasting and meaningful change, we must cooperate to accomplish the hard work before us.
At GLCAC we seek community members who bring diverse voices to our policy-making and governing boards. These voices directly influence and impact the policies, programs, and services we provide to people who may feel they have no voice.
Poverty is a persistent problem rooted in injustice and systems stacked against immigrants and minorities. The people we serve were born facing nearly insurmountable odds. They face barriers to quality education, employment at livable wages, nutritious food, and affordable, respectable housing. They have learned to fear and mistrust a government seen prioritizing punishment over protection of all the people.
Yet, they persist in fighting for a better life and we are in awe of their courage as we do our best help lift them up. From them, we can all draw inspiration. The road ahead will not be easy, but persistence will be rewarded with a more just nation.