SPA 6 Homeless Coalition's Statement on Systemic Racism and the Killing of Black Americans

 The SPA 6 Homeless Coalition stands in solidarity with the Black community and all parties fighting systemic racism and inequity. South Los Angeles is all too familiar with racial injustice, economic disparities and social inequities.

We share in your pain as our collective wounds are reopened by yet another killing.  The recent killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and Breonna Taylor are reminders of the history of injustice and legacy of pain inflicted against Black Americans in this country.

In the work that we do daily, it is ever present that Black Americans are disproportionately represented in the homeless population. Further, we recognize that the major underlying factor contributing to this overrepresentation is racism at all levels; including but not limited to access to equal education, housing, jobs, and health care.

It is not surprising that Black America is disproportionately impacted by the two most insidious public health crises plaguing our nation today, COVID-19 and racism.

As the SPA 6 Homeless Coalition, one of our major focus areas is advocacy. We will continue to advocate for equity and equal access to resources that will remedy the plague of poverty and the housing crisis. More importantly, we are committed to not only be vocal about racial inequality but taking actionable steps to remedy it through policy advocacy and a retooling of our commitment not to remain silent in the face of injustice

In Solidarity,

SPA 6 Homeless Coalition Steering Committee

Shannon Murray
Chair
smurray@wlcac.org

Marion Sanders
Vice Chair
msanders@hopics.org