It is difficult to find the words to capture the many things all of us are feeling regarding the death of George Floyd and the destruction of our community in the wake of his death.
This week’s events have been traumatizing, in an already unsettling time. Mr. Floyd’s life matters and our hearts go out to everyone grieving his death.
Our community is in pain and while we at Keystone share in that pain, I also acknowledge that we are struggling to know how we can best respond and be of support to our community members who are most affected by racism. Many times during crises, it is Keystone’s job to lead. Right now, it is our job to listen and learn from our community members and leaders who have lived experience with racism and know what is needed right now and in the future. I have learned from and listened to these community leaders this week and many others who work tirelessly for racial justice in our community. I encourage you to read the statement from the African American Leadership Forum on the death of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police Officers – http://www.tcaalf.com/website-features/a-call-to-action-aalf-executive-director-marcus-owens-reflects-on-george-floyd/.
Keystone was founded more than 80 years ago with a commitment to support and connect our neighbors with each other. Today we remain steadfast in our commitment to be a place of support, connection, and access to resources and programs for all of our neighbors. We are grieving with you, we are here to provide support, and we remain committed to strengthening our community with you.
Please reach out to us and let us know how Keystone can respond to support our community at this time.
As neighbors and as a community, I am hopeful that we can channel our shared grief about the injustices that have occurred for so long and too often in our community. We are committed to working together with our neighbors to build a more equitable future for our community and begin the healing.
Stay safe and be kind to one another,
Mary McKeown
President/CEO
