Racism and Violence: A Statement from Archstone Foundation

African Americans have struggled and suffered over hundreds of years to win for themselves the rights that should be theirs simply by virtue of their humanity. We all owe a debt of gratitude for their efforts, which have not only won progress for themselves, but also dragged our society (often kicking and screaming) closer to the lofty American ideals we like to celebrate but so often fail to make real. Many other groups have also followed the model of this struggle, and our nation is better for it—including older Americans of all races who have won significant civil rights protections against ageist discrimination.

Of course, the struggle is not over. As a foundation committed to improving the lives of older adults, we are painfully aware of health disparities among racial and ethnic groups and particularly the higher burden of illness and shorter lives of African Americans. We may have occasionally all deceived ourselves that the work of becoming a more equitable and just society was finished, but as we should have known, our failures still mock the progress we have made. The murder of George Floyd is a tragedy for him, his family, everyone with an open heart. But it is not different in kind from the deaths of so many other African Americans who have suffered illegitimate violence from police under the mantle of society’s authority or even from racists self-appointed to kill.

African Americans have been trying to tell us about this reality, for example through the Black Lives Matter movement and Living While Black campaigns. Yet, some discount each tragedy as an isolated incident, the work of bad apples, or even just human error. The circumstances of Mr. Floyd’s death on a sunny day, caught on multiple cameras, eliminates any alternative interpretations of the situation except as a willful murder by police, who clearly believed that somehow the murder was within their authority and something for which there would be no accountability. The event shows that our problems are deeper than any individual actors, but have roots in history, economic structures, and societal values that expressed themselves in this killing. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted disparities borne by African Americans even further, bringing attention to the systemic racism that occurs across all sectors of society.

As an organization committed to improving the well-being and lives of older adults—a mission we see as one that also challenges our society to become more equitable and just—we are inspired by the many protesters who have committed their time and risked their safety to show their opposition to the current state of our society. Even as I write this, a large multi-racial crowd is gathered outside on the street chanting what shouldn’t need to be said, but so sadly does: “Black Lives Matter.”

At Archstone Foundation, we are proud of the diversity of our board and staff and our work to advance health and well-being of disadvantaged and vulnerable older adults of all races, but we also know that we must do more to reduce disparities and racism in all its forms. We will work harder to listen to and learn from people struggling with racism and injustice and to incorporate that knowledge into our work. At this moment, I don’t yet know how we will be changing to better address injustice and inequity, especially for older African Americans. But the death of Mr. Floyd and the courage of the protesters responding to it, make clear how much work we must all do to reconsider assumptions and change the structural barriers to forming the kind of society we all should want.

Even without knowing how we at Archstone must change, we do know one thing we must not do—which is to stand silent. We must make this statement condemning racism, injustice, and murder. It shouldn’t have to be made, but to remove any doubt about where we stand, the board and staff of Archstone Foundation together say, “We oppose racism, injustice, and murder and their roots in violence and inequality. Black Lives Matter!”