The Southwest Center stands in solidarity with nonviolent protestors demanding justice in the wake of the deaths of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Dion Johnson, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others across this country whose lives have been tragically cut short. We believe that Black Lives Matter and that racism is intolerable.
Together we grieve. We ask ourselves how many more lives will be lost to systemic racial inequality before our voices are heard and our communities change. But we also grieve for the daily experience our Black community members face—the injustices that underpin our society and perpetuate racism at every level.
But grieving is not enough. We must act to affect change.
Southwest Center believes we are all stronger when we stand together. As an LGBTQ+ inclusive center and healthcare provider, we welcome the Black community to our center every day. We will continue to provide inclusive services to those who visit our center every day. We will continue to advocate for the community’s health and wellness. We will listen when you tell us how we can better serve you. Our team will stand by you when you need us.
We also believe that we can do more. We are committed to ending racism in our state and our country. We will work with other local organizations to make our hopes for change into realities. Toward this end, we are joining the open letter from LGBTQ organizations condemning racial violence.