At Senior Persons Living Connected (SPLC), we are appalled by the recent incidents of racist violence towards Black, Indigenous and Persons of Colour in this country and the U.S.A.
We each experience these tragic and shocking events in different ways based on our personal lived experience. Many in the Senior Persons Living Connected (SPLC) community including staff and seniors have experienced oppression, racism, discrimination, homophobia, and violence personally and throughout our family histories – it makes this current time especially painful. Racism against Black, Indigenous and Persons of Colour has been all too common for a very long time.
We know that our society is systemically racist and marginalizes people because of who they are. Systemic racism and discrimination cause harm to people we care about in the form of micro-aggressions, all the way to violence and death. It causes health and housing inequities which too many people in our community can attest to.
What SPLC is doing.
At SPLC, as a healthcare and housing provider, we stand against injustices toward individuals and groups. Our value of Inclusion and our tag line, Everyone Here Belongs, speaks to our collective desire for how we wish the world and our organization to be.
Currently, at SPLC, we have:
- A policy on Anti-Racism, Access & Equity that will guide our future work together.
- Created education and awareness opportunities for employees and seniors to help us stand against injustice. And this will continue.
- Leaders on staff and on our Boards who are members of the racial and ethnic communities we serve.
More work needs to be done.
Recently, SPLC employees stepped forward with the request to create a safe space to discuss experiences of racism and to make initial recommendations about what future steps SPLC can take against it. Plans to establish stronger and lasting anti-racism practices have been discussed by the Board of Directors and at an all-staff meeting, and all employees are invited to participate the development.
SPLC will continue to:
- Embed anti-racism into our workplace practices and culture, eg. education, and new employee orientation.
- Develop our own awareness (Consider this Implicit Attitude Test from Project Implicit, a coalition of top American universities)
- Build a collection of learning resources (SPLC internal staff, see L:\Anti-Racism Resources)
- Work to break down barriers and build equity for the seniors we serve and reach out to racialized communities who experience systemic barriers
- Ensure Black, Indigenous and Persons of Colour continue to be represented throughout the organization, and especially in governance and leadership roles
It is important that we listen to one another, and to act. We are committed to building an anti-racism approach that endures and grows. It will be a journey – and it will sometimes be difficult and uncomfortable. Sometimes we will take miss-steps and need to correct and make amends.
How we can support one another.
Recent and historical violent incidents of anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism cause distress for everyone. Let’s show support by reaching out with a kind word of acknowledgement, sharing resources, making donations, and helping one another build strength and resilience to stand against all forms of inequity.
The Board, Leadership team, and I remain committed to doing the necessary work to ensure an equitable and just community for everyone. Collectively, we will work toward addressing social injustices and our vision of building inclusive communities.
Diane Duncan
Executive Director, Senior Persons Living Connected (SPLC)
“The beauty of anti-racism is that you don’t have to pretend to be free of racism to be an anti-racist. Anti-racism is the commitment to fight racism wherever you find it, including in yourself. And that’s the only way forward.” – ljeoma Oluo
