STATEMENT BY YWCA USA INTERIM CEO CASEY HARDEN

“Joe Arpaio’s willful disregard of a judge’s order to cease his aggressive racial profiling and illegal detention of Latinx community members rightly led to his conviction for criminal contempt of court. Moreover, Arpaio has a lengthy track record of viciously abusing his power to harm people of color. The president’s pardon of Arpaio is a blatant and consistent endorsement of violence and white supremacy in this country. That this is his first presidential pardon makes his statement even clearer. We must continue work to break down violent, systemic racism even as this administration works to strengthen it.”

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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