June 8, 2020
Congreso’s Staff Statement in Response to Current (and Past) Events
As a concerned group of Congreso staff, we want to share our sadness, anger, frustration, confusion, and disappointment in Congreso’s response to the recent murder of George Floyd and the loss of too many other Black lives throughout history. We support the subsequent protests and demonstrations by our communities experiencing grief, sadness, and rage. We believe our agency’s response to be problematic and not aligned with our core values.
It is disappointing that our agency has not explicitly supported the Black Lives Matter movement. Desmond Tutu stated, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor,” which is why explicit support is necessary.
In 2019, 33% of Congreso’s clients identified as Black or African American. To quote one client who has been with Congreso for more than 10 years, “I know Congreso does not care about Black people. I have always known that.” Sadly, the sentiment of not being treated equally has been shared by multiple clients and it is disheartening for staff to hear. Our clients see and hear everything. And they feel everything.
The initial response reads that Congreso leaders were, “...on calls with city officials, the police department and other Latino leaders across our communities.” As a social service organization, Congreso’s focus should be on the community we serve: Black and Brown lives. Police are targeting Black and Brown communities, so how can talking to the oppressors provide insights about the oppressed? How does talking to the police challenge the system that the Black Lives Matter movement is demanding to be dismantled? Congreso’s initial response did not acknowledge the importance of protesting and the positive outcomes that protesting has had in the past and continues to have now. Encouraging staff to share an empty graphic asking for peace without justice is harmful and irresponsible.
In a more recent statement signed by the Board Chair, President & CEO, and External Affairs Director, it was proclaimed “Congreso, after working for more than 40 years in our communities, stands ready to work deeper through our inclusive programs and community partnerships to address systemic racism, violence, conscious and unconscious bias”. This statement of vague solidarity is an opportunity for Congreso to move forward with actionable next steps to address systemic racism outlined by Black-led organizations.
If Congreso wants to claim that we are upholding our “values,” then we cannot be performative in our activism. We cannot virtue signal and consider that enough. To be effective advocates for our clients, it is imperative that Congreso take actions that align with our core values and address the social injustices affecting the community we serve.
After hundreds of years of oppression, Black communities are angry that next to nothing has changed. Black people demand justice. This is a collective effort by everyone who supports the Black Lives Matter movement in every state in the U.S. and countries on every continent, making it the largest civil rights movement to date. Let us stand on the right side of history.
We are angry that we continue to live in a system created to oppress Black people.
We are angry about the historical trauma that racist systems have created, the influence that it is had on the lives of Black people, and how it continues to be the norm.
We are angry that Black people continue to be brutally murdered by police and ravaged by systemic racism.
We are frustrated that Black voices are consistently unheard. As a client-centered organization that values equality, we claim “we are most effective when we listen first to understand and respect one another’s ideas, beliefs, and practices, especially those different from our own”. We are frustrated to see our agency’s organization dismiss this core value when they denounced the form of protesting that Black people have chosen.
We are distressed that government leaders have not taken meaningful action led by Black community members. We feel hurt that our agency’s administration dismissed staff when some voiced their disagreement and offered opportunities to reflect with our leaders.
It is imperative for our white and other non-Black leadership and staff to remember that this is not about “us.” This is about Black people and their pursuit of justice. It is up to us to support that, especially considering our organization serves predominantly Black and Brown communities. If Congreso takes a stand against police brutality and vows to be anti-racist, then we would be truly upholding our core values and uplifting and supporting our Black clients and staff.
Congreso has built strong relationships with city officials and government offices. In holding Congreso’s values at the core of everything we do, let us use these connections to elevate the voices of the Black community. We encourage you to support the unified demands being made by Black organizations in Philadelphia. We urge you to go a step further and partner with these organizations, listen to their needs, and commit to joining them in their fight.
We outline recommended next action steps in the attached document to stand in support of Black Lives Matter, connect our core values, and align our response with the spirit of M2I. In solidarity,
- 39 Staff Members Of Congreso De Latinos Unidos
It is disappointing that our agency has not explicitly supported the Black Lives Matter movement. Desmond Tutu stated, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor,” which is why explicit support is necessary.
In 2019, 33% of Congreso’s clients identified as Black or African American. To quote one client who has been with Congreso for more than 10 years, “I know Congreso does not care about Black people. I have always known that.” Sadly, the sentiment of not being treated equally has been shared by multiple clients and it is disheartening for staff to hear. Our clients see and hear everything. And they feel everything.
The initial response reads that Congreso leaders were, “...on calls with city officials, the police department and other Latino leaders across our communities.” As a social service organization, Congreso’s focus should be on the community we serve: Black and Brown lives. Police are targeting Black and Brown communities, so how can talking to the oppressors provide insights about the oppressed? How does talking to the police challenge the system that the Black Lives Matter movement is demanding to be dismantled? Congreso’s initial response did not acknowledge the importance of protesting and the positive outcomes that protesting has had in the past and continues to have now. Encouraging staff to share an empty graphic asking for peace without justice is harmful and irresponsible.
In a more recent statement signed by the Board Chair, President & CEO, and External Affairs Director, it was proclaimed “Congreso, after working for more than 40 years in our communities, stands ready to work deeper through our inclusive programs and community partnerships to address systemic racism, violence, conscious and unconscious bias”. This statement of vague solidarity is an opportunity for Congreso to move forward with actionable next steps to address systemic racism outlined by Black-led organizations.
If Congreso wants to claim that we are upholding our “values,” then we cannot be performative in our activism. We cannot virtue signal and consider that enough. To be effective advocates for our clients, it is imperative that Congreso take actions that align with our core values and address the social injustices affecting the community we serve.
After hundreds of years of oppression, Black communities are angry that next to nothing has changed. Black people demand justice. This is a collective effort by everyone who supports the Black Lives Matter movement in every state in the U.S. and countries on every continent, making it the largest civil rights movement to date. Let us stand on the right side of history.
We are angry that we continue to live in a system created to oppress Black people.
We are angry about the historical trauma that racist systems have created, the influence that it is had on the lives of Black people, and how it continues to be the norm.
We are angry that Black people continue to be brutally murdered by police and ravaged by systemic racism.
We are frustrated that Black voices are consistently unheard. As a client-centered organization that values equality, we claim “we are most effective when we listen first to understand and respect one another’s ideas, beliefs, and practices, especially those different from our own”. We are frustrated to see our agency’s organization dismiss this core value when they denounced the form of protesting that Black people have chosen.
We are distressed that government leaders have not taken meaningful action led by Black community members. We feel hurt that our agency’s administration dismissed staff when some voiced their disagreement and offered opportunities to reflect with our leaders.
It is imperative for our white and other non-Black leadership and staff to remember that this is not about “us.” This is about Black people and their pursuit of justice. It is up to us to support that, especially considering our organization serves predominantly Black and Brown communities. If Congreso takes a stand against police brutality and vows to be anti-racist, then we would be truly upholding our core values and uplifting and supporting our Black clients and staff.
Congreso has built strong relationships with city officials and government offices. In holding Congreso’s values at the core of everything we do, let us use these connections to elevate the voices of the Black community. We encourage you to support the unified demands being made by Black organizations in Philadelphia. We urge you to go a step further and partner with these organizations, listen to their needs, and commit to joining them in their fight.
We outline recommended next action steps in the attached document to stand in support of Black Lives Matter, connect our core values, and align our response with the spirit of M2I. In solidarity,
- 39 Staff Members Of Congreso De Latinos Unidos