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    A Statement from Family Caregiver Alliance

    June 10, 2020

    We remain committed to serving communities of color and addressing inequities in health.

    “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Martin Luther King

    In just the first few months of this year, we all have been rocked by a global pandemic and the resulting economic uncertainties. And now, with the recent killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, we find ourselves immersed in a nationwide upheaval that has galvanized our country and the world. A person’s life being taken, on a street, in public view, on a day like any other, is horrifying because it is so casual. Horrifying because we know it is just one of many injustices that have gone before.

    As an organization dedicated to families and caregiving, we cannot look away.

    Since its inception, Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) has been a strong advocate for families who care for relatives, friends and partners with dementia, stroke, Parkinson’s, head injuries and other cognitive impairments along with other physical health conditions. We have long recognized the diversity of the Bay Area and have strived to have the staff, Board of Directors and programs reflect the spectrum of communities we serve. Organizationally, we strive towards a corporate culture that is an inclusive and safe environment for persons of color, LGBTQ+, abled and disabled. Is it easy? No. Is it worth it? Yes.

    While we all want a return to “normal,” we must demand to return to a better normal, a new normal. One that truly provides safety, justice and equal treatment under the law for persons of color. One that provides equity in education, good jobs, health care, housing and a clean environment. One that realizes that inequality is rooted in our country’s history of slavery and oppression of persons of color that is played out to this day in the disparities in education, economic and health status.

    We must fight the underlying cause of these inequities and make fundamental societal changes to end discrimination on all fronts.

    As we continue to evolve as an organization, we will remain committed to serving communities of color while also addressing in every way we can the inequities in overall health that are based in institutional discrimination. This commitment will serve as a basis of our services program and in our advocacy work.

    Appreciation to our colleagues at the Center to Advance Palliative Care (capc.org) for this action list.

    How to take action: