RefugePoint grieves over the brutal and cowardly killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and all others who have had their lives taken due to racially-fueled violence. We grieve with their families and friends, and all our fellow Americans who wish for a just and equitable society.

RefugePoint’s founding was connected to the premise that America is one of the last remaining hopes for refugees who have nowhere else to turn. During these past few days, however, we are yet again reminded of the systemic racism, inequity, police brutality, and oppression in our country that undermines this premise of justice and equity.

We acknowledge the positions of privilege that many of our staff are in, and we are committed to educating ourselves and giving our staff the space to do more: to engage, to speak, to listen, to learn, to reflect, and to act for change. We recognize that we must all join in to combat institutional racism and we are committed to doing more.

We stand together with all those seeking change. We stand together in rejecting racism and the systemic violence that has long plagued our country and join as allies in demanding racial equity. Only with action can America become the safe haven for all that we imagine.