On Friday night, Charlottesville, Va. erupted as white supremacists carrying torches descended on the University of Virginia campus and marched to protest the removal of a Robert E. Lee monument. Violent protests continued today. In response, YWCA USA, YWCA of Central Virginia, and YWCA Richmond have made the following comments:
STATEMENT BY YWCA USA INTERIM CEO CASEY HARDEN:
“We are outraged, yet not surprised, by last night’s white supremacist march in Charlottesville. Every American, especially white Americans, must keep our country’s ongoing legacy of racism at the front of our minds. Images of torch-bearing white supremacists may feel to some like a relic from the past being brought to life by a few extremists. However, we must trust Black women and other people of color when they say that these displays are indicative of daily racial injustices and threats that communities of color continue to face in the United States. What happened last night and today in continuing violent protests is an unacceptable display of hate and white supremacy that has no place in our communities. YWCA USA will not tolerate or normalize racism in any of its insidious forms.”
STATEMENT BY YWCA OF CENTRAL VIRGINIA CEO CAROLINE HUDSON:
“The display we saw last night was a show of hatred that has no place in the state of Virginia or any community in our nation. We at YWCA of Central Virginia will continue to stand against racism and stand up for justice. Together with over 200 YWCAs across the United States, we work daily to eliminate racism.”
STATEMENT BY YWCA RICHMOND CEO LINDA TISSIERE:
“White nationalism is antithetical to our values at YWCA Richmond — and, more than that, it’s just plain wrong. Last night and today’s marches are indicative of the larger issue of racism that we must address at every level. It takes each of us to root out hatred and injustice in our communities to create a more equitable Virginia and a safer United States.”
ABOUT YWCA USA:
YWCA USA is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, stand up for social justice, help families, and strengthen communities. We are one of the oldest and largest women’s organizations in the nation, serving over 2 million women, girls, and their families.
YWCA has been at the forefront of the most pressing social movements for more than 150 years — from voting rights to civil rights, from affordable housing to pay equity, from violence prevention to health care reform. Today, we combine programming and advocacy in order to generate institutional change in three key areas: racial justice and civil rights, empowerment and economic advancement of women and girls, and health and safety of women and girls. Learn more: www.ywca.org.
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