Community Change Inc.

"History with all its unending pain cannot be outlived, but faced with courage need not be lived again."- Maya Angelou 

 

Last night's grand jury decision out of Ferguson, Missouri, was not entirely unexpected but is, nevertheless, an extraordinary disappointment and a reminder of just how much work we still have in the fight for racial equity and justice. It was 46 years ago in the aftermath of the race riots of 1967 and the findings of the Kerner Commission that CCI was founded. Yet here we are again in 2014, looking at the aftermath of racial tensions due to the inability of so many white people to recognize the full humanity inherent in Black bodies. 

Although it was never much in doubt, it is all the more clear now that our work is far from done,as the callous disregard of Black lives continues to be the norm and, as heart-wrenching as this decision was, we must go on in our fight for racial justice and the process of dismantling systemic racism through action, education, advocacy, and shining our spotlight on the roots of racism in white culture and its impact on communities of color, Black and otherwise. 

 

Today, we mourn the loss of Michael Brown and we stand with the people of Ferguson, Missouri, knowing that the events of the past several months are the result of hundreds of years of systemic racism that systematically disadvantages Black bodies and privileges whiteness. 

 

In solidarity,

 

Shay and the CCI staff and board of directors 

Community Change Inc.
14 Beacon Street, Suite 605
Boston, Massachusetts 02108
info@communitychangeinc.org
(617) 523-0555
November 25, 2014
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