Black lives matter. MHLAC stands in solidarity with those protesting the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others killed by white supremacy. Further, we state our complete abhorrence of the Trump administration’s response: sending federal agents in unmarked vehicles to arrest protestors over the strenuous objection of local governments. The recent report on the racial disparities in Massachusetts’ criminal justice system reminds us of the urgency with which we must address these matters in the Commonwealth.
Justice will never be achieved for those with mental health needs – or anyone else – in a system that perpetuates white supremacy. Racism wreaks damage daily on the mental health of those who must endure it. Many victims of police brutality are people with disabilities, and ableism in addition to racism is a direct cause of their deaths. Half of all those killed by law enforcement officers are people living with a disability. We say their names, too: Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, Stephon Watts, Kajieme Powell.
MHLAC recommits to dismantling the structural barriers of racism that block truly equal justice by finding new ways to continue and expand our work in the space where racism and mental health intersect. MHLAC also recommits to examining our own internal biases and will do everything we can to identify and tear down any organizational walls that exist within our own workplace so that we are more inclusive for all.