May 29, 2020

We Must Hold Government Leaders Accountable for Systemic Racism  

CCC condemns racism in all forms. For more than seven decades we have championed the rights of all children to be healthy, housed, educated and safe. We analyze data to illustrate persistent inequities that must be tackled to promote the well-being of all children and families. Too often, the data point to the impact of systemic racism on child and family outcomes.

Black lives matter.

We are saddened and angered by the repeated unnecessary loss of life and troubled by the most recent tragedies gaining national attention including the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, the murder of George Floyd, the police brutality protesters are facing across the nation, the racism experienced by Christian Cooper in Central Park and the hyper-policing of social distancing in minority communities. We demand justice for these individuals, their families and communities, and for the countless others who go unnamed.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the racism and racial inequity Black New Yorkers face have become more evident across countless systems and institutions. We’ve seen how Black New Yorkers and their communities struggle with higher rates of illness and mortality due to COVID-19, and how many precursors such as poverty, overcrowded housing, poor health, and inequitable education have led to a disproportionate impact in minority communities.

The path forward requires us to call out racism in all forms and to urgently advance basic human rights, holding legally responsible all who violate them. We must continue to combat racism and inequity in systems and institutions addressing housing, health, education and safety, and hold government leaders accountable to ensure that federal, state and local resources are marshaled to accomplish this goal.

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