On the Killing of George Floyd and Institutional Racism,
A Letter from the Staff of University Settlement, Cleveland, Ohio
Since early March, the entire staff of University Settlement has been working overtime to serve the needs of the residents of Slavic Village. The impact of COVID-19 on deeply challenged communities such as ours can’t be overstated; people are frightened, confused, and suffering.
Then, on May 25, an unarmed black man named George Floyd was killed by an on-duty police officer in South Minneapolis. The officer held his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. We all watched in horror as Mr. Floyd died before our eyes.
Recently, the staff here at University Settlement held a Zoom call about the killing, and the conversations have continued since then. We did not want to issue a statement just from organizational leadership; we wanted to include the diversity of our voices: we are black people, brown people, white people; LGBTQ+ and straight allies; younger and older; veterans; individuals with diverse political perspectives; people with disabilities and able-bodied folks; Jewish, Christian, and agnostic/atheist; and employees from an array of socio-economic backgrounds.
For many of us, the killing of Mr. Floyd was personal, and just the latest in a long list of crimes and outrages. “I’ve seen this before; there are protests, and then nothing changes,” said one employee. “Saturday there was gunfire on my street, and it was terrifying,” said another. “I am afraid for my grandchildren; will they be safe?” asked one of the older black employees. “It’s frustrating when people say they understand racism—if they’re not in my skin, they don’t know,” one person asserted. “As a white person I know that I will never truly understand but I want to be there,” offered a younger employee. “Unless we change systemic racism, it will keep happening,” said another, and heads nodded in agreement.
And more voices: —How do we move forward? —People need to get out and vote. —There’s racial code in Slavic Village; some places aren’t safe. —We need to be a welcoming space for everyone. —All of us need to stand up against racist remarks and actions. —Being a black man in America, I’m always having to defend myself. —I want to be a vehicle for change. —How can we be there for our clients? —Everyone needs to be counted in the census. —I went to the protest downtown; I just felt I needed to be there. —It’s not just the police; it’s structural, everywhere. —We need to start with our own biases. —As a grandmother. —As a friend. —As a sister. —As a father. —As a human.
We don’t know all the answers. But we do know this:
—Until we as a community and as a society confront and uproot structural racism, we will never be able to fully address the poverty, marginalization, disenfranchisement, and despair that it breeds and that we address as an agency every day.
—We don’t have the complete answer for how to do that. We and so many others have great ideas, but it’s important that we listen deeply to the community, the whole community, and create answers together.
—University Settlement is committed to remaining a safe space for all. Everyone.
—We as an organization must take a deep, hard look at whether we are fully “walking the walk” when it comes to ending racism. But we must also avoid the “paralysis of analysis,” and be willing to take bold, public action against racism in the community, even when our personal work is incomplete.
University Settlement will continue to listen and support, utilize our various platforms and programs to foster racial equity, participate in trainings and dialogue, and take public action. That’s our commitment.
In love, justice, grief, anger, resolve, and hope,
The staff of University Settlement