Ibis Reproductive Health stands in solidarity with our partners, communities, colleagues, families, and loved ones to condemn racism, and particularly racist violence committed by the police and others against Black people. We mourn the loss of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and so many more Black lives lost as a result of police brutality and racism in the United States. We mourn the loss of Collins Khosa, Sibusiso Amos, Petrus Miggels, and Adane Emmanuel who are among 11 Black men unjustly killed in South Africa by the police/South African National Defence Force (SANDF) during enforcement of the COVID-19 lockdown over the last two months. We mourn the lives of all those we’ve lost around the world to these injustices, including many whose names we will never know.
Systemic racism, which allows this violence to continue, affects our staff, partners, colleagues, families, and loved ones in ways big and small every single day. Systemic racism has also resulted in the current disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black communities. Racial justice is central to Ibis’s vision of a world where everyone has the power to live a pleasurable, safe, and fulfilling sexual and reproductive life. This vision can never be achieved if we do not confront the fact that exercising one’s sexual and reproductive rights is inextricably tied to dismantling racism and making progress toward racial justice. We are committed to continuing our work as an organization to address white supremacy and systemic oppression in our policies, practices, and culture; and to holding ourselves accountable to the values of justice and equity as defined here by Ibis staff and Board. We recognize the vital role of and are grateful for the leadership of Black people and Black-people led organizations in our movement and within our organization, and aspire to do our work in ways that support and are in solidarity with everyone fighting for racial justice in this critical moment.
We encourage you to visit our social media channels where we are lifting up calls to action and sharing resources from our partners.