To Our Bayview-Hunters Point Families and Community

Today we released a letter to our community affirming our commitment to them and that Black Lives Matter.

Thursday, June 18, 2020

To our Bayview-Hunters Point families and community:

The Center for Youth Wellness is deeply outraged and heartbroken over the murders of innocent Black people, and we grieve the deaths of Mario Woods, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, most recently, Rayshard Brooks, and the countless other lives lost to police brutality. Although these incidents affect all of us, we understand that they particularly impact the Black community. And we know that these most recent traumas do not exist in a vacuum. Many of our Bayview families have long experienced the ever-present fear that family members may leave the house and not come back – whether it be due to racism, police brutality, or–most recently– COVID-19, which has such a disparate impact on Black communities. We express heartfelt condolences to those who have lost family and community members. We too are tired of these atrocities. We too are outraged by this continued systemic injustice. We see it and we see you!

As our country begins to seriously reckon with the damaging effects of white supremacy on Black people, CYW stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement to demand justice, dignity and liberation. In this unique and historic moment, we confront America’s 400 years of racist structures and systems and reimagine a just society. CYW commits to continuing our trauma-informed mental health services by:

• Continually evolving our mental health care and ecosystem model to support the communities we serve.

• Centering and showing up for our families as you engage in our mental health services; offering video check-ins with your mental health provider or delivering food and care packages to the families we serve, or providing Family Relief Funds.

• Actively listening to your needs, amplifying your voices, and holding a safe space for your deepest concerns.

• Supporting and advancing of equitable and just policies that help to create communities where we can reduce the frequency of ACEs and toxic stress, rather than just mitigating their impact.

• And always seeing our work through a racial equity and social justice lens. Every day.

Our support for you and your loved ones is extremely important to every member of our staff and defines why we exist. We stand with you at this inflection moment for our neighborhoods, our city, and our country and affirm that Black Lives Matter!

In service, solidarity, and partnership,
The Center for Youth Wellness