President, Heartland Alliance
Dear Friends and Supporters:
Like many of you, many of us at Heartland Alliance watched the violent insurrection unfold in Washington D.C. last week in horror. The lies and incitement of violence by the President toward our elected officials and democratic processes were distressing and disturbing. And law enforcement’s lack of response was deeply upsetting in contrast to the violent treatment of Black Americans and Black Lives Matter demonstrators just months ago.
As a human rights organization, we recognize the events of the past week as pivotal moments in our democracy. The forces of white supremacy and white nationalism have a long, deep history in the U.S., and we are reminded, yet again, how much more work we have to do to make our society equitable for all.
Heartland Alliance is its people – our participants, staff, volunteers, and partners like you. As events continue to unfold over the coming days and weeks, we are here for all of you, the collective good of our organization, our country, and our world.
We want to take the opportunity to be clear and steadfast in saying:
- We denounce white supremacy in all its forms;
- We uphold our commitment to becoming an anti-racist organization;
- We do what it takes to advance equity and opportunity for all through our programs, policy, and systems change work; and
- We work hand-in-hand with our participants to build a more equitable and just world.
We put these commitments into action in many ways. Our Anti-Racism Response Council, led by employees of color, is drafting the blueprint for a long-term cultural shift toward conscious, explicit anti-racism. We continually work to mitigate the disproportionate impacts of poverty and systemic oppression through our program and policy efforts that promote health and healing, safety and justice, and economic opportunity. Just this week, Illinois passed new groundbreaking reforms we advocated for to change systems of oppression. Part of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus’s agenda, these new laws include the Predatory Loan Prevention Act, the Public Housing Access Bill, and the License to Work Act II.
Certainly, there is much more work to do to protect our democracy and ensure equity, justice and opportunity for all. In these difficult and uncertain times, we gain strength from each other, our courageous work, our participants, and our allies. I hope that you also feel strength and support from being part of our Heartland Alliance family.
In solidarity,
Evelyn Diaz
