A statement from NRCDV CEO Farzana Safiullah and NRCDV Board Chair Dr. Johnny Rice II. Access the PDF version here.
The pandemic of racial injustice, systemic oppression, and exploitation continues to rage across the country, causing many losses. Recent events, unfortunately, highlight significant and longstanding health and economic disparities among African Americans and other racial and ethnic groups. Such gaps in treatment reflect inequality and continue to cause immeasurable pain to Black communities, which reverberates throughout America today.
We condemn the killings of unarmed Black individuals across the country, which has led to premature death – those victims that are named and those that continue to remain nameless for their safety. We refuse to stay silent when we witness disparate treatment based on race and ethnicity alone, over and over again. We must not ignore the cruelty and injustice of domestic violence, family violence, and community violence. Domestic violence is inextricability linked to all forms of violence, and to end domestic violence, we must dismantle anti-Blackness, other types of racism, discrimination, and structures that perpetuate oppression. We will stand and support our allied domestic violence organizations committed to attaining similar goals.
The NRCDV will also continue its journey to becoming an organization that uses its voice as a domestic violence leader and anti-racist organization to identify and challenge practices that are deemed harmful to Black victims and that perpetuate white supremacy. We plan to achieve this goal of creating a safer and more equitable society using our voice to amplify essential issues in this space. The NRCDV Stands Statement reflects the Guiding Principles that inform our work.
Our policy work (local and national), comprehensive technical assistance, training, resource development, partnerships, and collaboration building are all tools that we will continue to utilize and develop and advance in efforts to achieve envisioned goals.
Finally, we will address the various forms of violence and associated racism in a manner that is centered on Black communities and Black-led organizations and does not perpetuate systemic oppression. We will lead with humanity and make room for expressions of pain and healing with compassion, support, and love.
Farzana Safiullah
CEO, NRCDV
Dr. Johnny Rice II
Chair, NRCDV Board
