August 18, 2017
The Urban League of Southern Connecticut and our community partners are taking a stand against racism, hatred and bigotry. The time has come for America to face this truth because in 2017, the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazis, Proud Boys, alt-right, the white lives matter movement and other white supremacists groups are flourishing in the United States, including right here in Connecticut. In the wake of the election and reelection of the first black president, some have touted that America is finally in the midst of a post-racial phase. But, black people continue to be assaulted, beaten and murdered by white supremacists. These vicious and reprehensible acts are horribly reminiscent of the period of Reconstruction and the Jim Crow era during the 19th and 20th centuries.
As far as we have come as a nation, there has been an underlying theme in America since its founding. It is racism and this country’s refusal to address it! In the wake of Charlottesville, Virginia (yet another city that will now conjure images of hate, terror, injury and murder simply by uttering its name), the opportunity to directly address this social problem in America presented itself again as a call to action but it was purposefully avoided. As black communities, Jewish communities and immigrant communities continue to be terrorized by white supremacist groups, they are also reeling from the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department that seems to have been turned away from pursuing justice in the cases of racism, hatred and bigotry perpetrated by these groups. Black communities and other communities have also been devastated by the Supreme Court’s decision to eliminate vital protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which ensured that discrimination at polling places was illegal.
We, however, will not allow the issues of addressing the impact of hate groups and the erosion of our civil rights to be cast aside. We will continue to speak truth to power and advocate for changes in policy that are equitable and just because there is too much at stake and too much to lose. Our lives depend on it. Our children’s lives depend on it. And, America is on the precipice of a future that seems to be gravitating towards the darkness rather than the light.
The Urban League of Southern Connecticut and our community partners pledge to continue to empower communities and change lives through our programs, advocacy and strategic vision. Join us to help ensure the implementation of policies that promote liberty and justice for all!
Valarie Shultz-Wilson
President & CEO
Urban League of Southern Connecticut
