George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, Tony McDade, Riah Milton, Dominique Fells. These are more than names, more than hashtags—they represent a life cut short, a family’s grief, a community’s despair and outrage. The slaying of Black community members by the police, targeting of Black people and communities of color, and racist rhetoric by Trump and his followers are continual reminders that anti-Blackness and racism pervade our society and imperil ILRC’s mission to promote diversity and uphold the rights of all people.

As an immigrant rights organization, it is our responsibility to recognize that our fight for justice is inextricably linked to the efforts of Black, Indigenous, and other people of color. We stand in solidarity with the Black community and the bold demands of Black organizers and Black-led organizations who are leading the work to end police brutality, anti-Blackness, and racism.

As an organization, we also recognize that we can do more to address and dismantle systemic racism, both internally and externally. As first steps, we commit to:

  • Continuous learning by staff and board to develop and maintain a shared understanding of what racial justice is and how to actively practice anti-racism
  • Conducting an equity, diversity, and inclusion audit of all aspects of our organization—including our board, leadership, staff, and partners—and developing an action plan on increasing racial equity based on this audit
  • Exploring and implementing policies, practices, attitudes, and actions that produce more equitable power, opportunities, and outcomes for Black people and people of color inside our organization and in our work with partners
  • Providing opportunities for interested staff to engage and contribute to these ideas
  • Standing in solidarity with, learning from, and supporting Black community members and allies across the country who are bravely protesting the system of white supremacy that perpetuates the devaluation of Black lives in this country
  • Calling for and working towards solutions that dismantle racist institutions and direct our local, state, and federal resources towards our communities in a way that ensures that Black community members can live safely and thrive