Dear Friends,

We were all horrified by the video footage of the murder of George Floyd. Sadly – many marginalized people in the country were not surprised by it.

What happened to George Floyd was no mere episodic example of racism, it was systemic.  What we saw on video that day is what systemic racism looks like.

George Floyd’s death is the latest in a long line of black people victimized or killed by the systemic racism embedded in our society.

This must stop.  And we must commit ourselves to changing our society.

This moment demands we – each in our own way – speak out and stand against racism and injustice.  It falls on everyone to speak truth to power, speak to the legacy of bigotry, racism and unequal treatment from our communities and our hearts.

We stand together.

Yours in solidarity,

Dan Gates, LCSW
President and CEO
AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod