LiveOn NY Statement on the Murder of George Floyd
When injustice takes place, we all have a role in speaking out against it.
George Floyd's murder was wrong, as are all of the continued structural barriers that are put in place to advance racism in our country. It is not an accident that COVID-19 is disproportionately impacting black and brown communities, including the very seniors served by LiveOn NY’s member network. It is further not an accident that health, housing, and financial struggles are disproportionately concentrated in these very same communities. In reality, these are not policy failures, but they are the products of policies working exactly as designed: to advance our country’s racist roots.
Going back to normal is not an option, and it certainly should not be the goal.
As a City and as a Nation we must do better. LiveOn NY’s mission has long been to make New York a better place to age, and we know that this aim can never be met when injustice remains present in our state; when individuals of color like George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and so many others are never even given the chance to reach old age. As allies and as advocates, LiveOn NY is committed to using our platform to support policies that will redress these systemic wrongs and injustices and to instead create a system where we all truly have equal access to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, or age.
To those who are grieving, who are scared, and who are angry, we are with you and we will remain with you until future generations are spared this same pain.
