The International Center for Research on Women stands with our staff, our community, with people everywhere seeking to transform the underlying systemic inequities that perpetuate the dehumanizing violence that manifested last week in the death of George Floyd at the hands of police.

Injustice – whether targeting people on the basis of their race, gender, class, religion, age, orientation, ability, origin – will persist as long as we do not act to disrupt it. As a people, we must disassemble the structures that fuel and sustain inequity and together build a solid foundation for social justice, equity and a new direction.

George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Tamir Rice. Ahmaud Arbery. Trayvon Martin. We have witnessed crimes against Black people and communities of color over and over. These are crimes against humanity – stark and painful indicators of the injustice and racism that have existed in this country for centuries.

For those of us in the majority, we must recognize that we have to examine our own privilege and work to dismantle the long-standing social inequities that have maintained our position of power in this society. We must all stand up when we see others pushed down and rise up together with purpose.

We at ICRW stand in solidarity with the Black community. We will use our research and advocacy platform to interrogate injustice, drive evidence-informed solutions and collaborate with our partners near and far to create a better world.