“Chicago rallies and marches in solidarity with the Baltimore Uprising” by BobboSphere is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Download, share, and print a PDF copy of this statement here.
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, an African American man, was killed by police officers in Minneapolis. He, like many before him, is a victim of the racism that has been deeply engrained in many of our systematic infrastructures.
It is our duty to speak up during these times.
The Diverse Elders Coalition is made up of six member organizations – the National Caucus and Center on Black Aging, the National Hispanic Council on Aging, the National Indian Council on Aging, the Southeast Asian Resource Action Center, SAGE (Advocacy and Services for LGBT Elders), and the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging – and we stand in solidarity with communities and families across the United States condemning the horrific death of George Floyd. To make it plain and clear: We reject any form of institutional racism, prejudice, discrimination, inequality, violence, or antagonism against anyone because they are of a different race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or political, social, or economic background.
With communities nationwide, and the residents of Minneapolis, we demand immediate justice and transparency for Mr. Floyd, his family and friends. The police officers involved must be held accountable for their actions to the fullest extent of the law, and we call on authorities to provide protection and to honor the space for people exercising their right to protest without intimidation and fear.
During these horrific times it is easy to let our frustrations, outrage, and anger get the best of us. From the wisdom of our community’s elders, we urge all to stand up for racial equality across generations. Let’s encourage diverse older Americans to participate in protest, to engage in advocacy efforts for policy change, and to expand voter registration and voting itself among our communities.
Let’s have all generations be part of the solution to champion human rights, and ensure that all people grow older in healthy, safe environments, with dignity and justice.
To learn about more ways to take action, please refer to statements from other DEC members including the following below: