In Solidarity. Resources and a letter from Family Paths' ED, Barbra Silver

Home / In Solidarity. Resources and a letter from Family Paths’ ED, Barbra Silver

It is challenging and difficult times. With each death of an unarmed black person we are reminded again and again of the brutal impact of racism and legacy of pain that many in our community live with on a daily basis and others of us benefit from in ways that we don’t often acknowledge. On top of the realities of health disparities amongst Black and Latinx communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, these latest acts of injustice are intolerable and responses of pain/anger/grief understandable.

We must learn how to change this pattern and this narrative. The lives we lose are sons, daughters, husbands, wives, brothers and sisters – it is simply not acceptable and needs strong ally-ship from white Americans to re-dress. To confront this reality it will take more courage, more determination, more action, and greater willingness to listen and acknowledge the depth of trauma that is bound up in our country’s founding and continues to the present day. Some people will never see it or understand it, but for those who do, who have a voice, have a platform, have the privilege to speak out, or the ability to step back to let more people of color lead, we must act.

We need all families healthy and thriving to have a strong community, but it is incumbent on us all to take stock of those suffering the most and not settle until every family has equal opportunity to raise their children without fear of death just because of the color of their skin. At Family Paths we will continue to support children and families from all backgrounds and experiences manage the stress and fear during these challenging times and be open to hearing how we can continue to support them as we move forward towards a more just world.

In solidarity,
Barbra Silver
Executive Director – Family Paths, Inc.