STATEMENT FROM THE BOARD: Our Commitment to Anti-Racism and Race Equity
For Immediate Release: June 16, 2020
Black lives matter. At the heart of the work of Planned Parenthood Great Plains (PPGP) is the belief that bodily integrity and health care are basic human rights to be shared by all individuals. And Black members of our communities – our families, friends, patients, staff members, and colleagues – must be guaranteed the fundamental right to the freedoms that white people take for granted.
Black lives matter. We stand with those who are calling for the abolishment of the preferential treatment, privilege, and power for white people at the expense of Black people and other groups oppressed on the basis of race. During an international pandemic that has magnified health inequities, activists around the world are demanding structural and institutional change to eliminate violence against Black people and foster a society in which they can flourish. Our hearts are with these activists and we steadfastly support their call.
Black lives matter. We, the Board of Directors of PPGP, do not tolerate racism. We reject the patterns of power that legitimize and perpetuate the destruction and degradation of Black lives, and we are reinvigorated in our commitment to understand our role, both historically and currently, in a fractured and unjust society.
Through education, introspection, and community engagement, we will work to identify and examine our biases, as well as establish measurable targets to hold ourselves accountable for eradicating racism and promoting racial equity within our own organization and our communities. We are also taking the following tangible steps, and urge our allies and activists from other organizations to do the same:
- Propel Our Leaders: Contact members of Congress and urge them to sign on to a resolution to condemn police brutality, racial profiling, and excessive force, and advocate for meaningful structural changes in policing and public safety at all levels of government.
- Join Black Lives Matter: Learn about their recent Week of Action and access resources and policy proposals to realize Black humanity and dignity.
- Support Protestors: Stand with local protesters in our cities, increase awareness of the risks they incur, and take steps to increase the efficacy of protests.
- Dig Deep and Learn: Deepen your understanding of how racism affects each of us with these anti-racism resources.
Our work reaches beyond the time patients and staff enter our doors and when they leave. We are all in, and we are all together in this fight. Black lives matter.
Join us. Contact [email protected] to learn about our work or visit https://jobs.lever.co/ppgreatplains for employment opportunities.