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As a community-based organization whose mission is to empower older adults, those of any age with a disability, and their caregivers by providing the innovative answers, services, and support they need to achieve the greatest possible independence, dignity, and quality of life, CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions condemns the senseless killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in Minneapolis. This is the most recent in an exceptionally long string of acts of violence and killings of unarmed African Americans.
CICOA joins with so many of you who are both sad and angry over the death of George Floyd. This tragedy adds to a series of tragedies that must stop: Ahmaud Arbery, fatally shot while jogging; Breonna Taylor, shot to death by police mistakenly raiding her home; Eric Garner; Philando Castile; Trayvon Martin…the list goes on and on. These events are both shocking and, unfortunately, all too common in our nation.
For CICOA to live up to its mission, we must first acknowledge that racism is not just a problem for African Americans. Racism is everyone’s problem, because it erodes the very fabric of our society.
To begin the healing, there is a tremendous amount of work to do, but only by standing together and working together will we be able to do it. Alone, we are unable to address every community issue, but we can come together as community partners to own and address the disparities and inequities within our control.
As the largest Area Agency on Aging in Indiana, CICOA unequivocally condemns racism, bigotry, discrimination and violence. We support peaceful protest and are troubled by the riots and destruction that have occurred in conjunction with it.
We want our communities, especially our communities of color, to know that we hear you, we join you in the fight against racial injustice, and we are committed to doing the work required to ensure trust in our home- and community-based services to advance the health and well-being of all people in our communities.
In your service,
Tauhric Brown, CICOA President & CEO,
the CICOA Board of Directors, and the CICOA Foundation Board of Trustees
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