Project Safeguard's Board of Directors and staff stand with Black communities in condemning and mourning the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, and far too many others. We are committed to being an anti-racist organization - calling out racism in all of its forms and naming white supremacy wherever it lurks.
We recognize that to serve victims of domestic violence, sexual violence and stalking, we must fight all forms of oppression. The intersection of victimization and race is too often overlooked and minimized, as if everyone experiences these acts of violence in the same way, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other marginalized status. Ignoring these intersections only serves to further marginalize and exclude communities of color.
Project Safeguard's legal advocacy and assistance programs are designed to help survivors of gender-based violence access and navigate the criminal and civil legal systems. We recognize that these systems are too often the source of violence against communities of color in general and black communities in particular. Law enforcement and criminal legal systems disproportionately target and punish black Americans. The civil legal system fails them as well. While Lady Justice is blindfolded, we know that these systems do not treat everyone the same - they perpetuate systemic oppression and justice is rarely the outcome.
Our immigration system is failing communities of color - separating children from their parents, treating those seeking refuge like terrorists, and depriving victims of violence of their civil rights. People fleeing from danger, the vast majority of them black and brown, are experiencing further violence at the hands of the United States government.
We will not stand by and watch while our values are under attack. We will speak out against racism and other forms of oppression; advocate for our clients in the systems that claim to be just, but often aren't; hold systems and individuals accountable for the harm they cause; and use our power and privilege to advocate for change at all levels of society.
We have work to do to ensure that we are creating and implementing inclusive policies and practices throughout our organization. We continue to learn. We are committed to listening to communities of color, LGBTQ communities, and others experiencing oppression to ensure that we use our privilege and power to create change, and do not overlook the insidiousness of white supremacy that lurks in everything.
