Our Commitment to Racial Justice and Equity
Chicago House & Social Service Agency opened its doors in 1985 as a hospice facility for those dying of AIDS. During this time period, LGBTQ people were being kicked out of their homes, disowned by their families, publicly shamed, fired from their jobs, and were systematically unprotected and rejected by government entities and officials.
Thirty-five years later we continue providing housing, health, and employment services to those impacted by, most vulnerable to, or living with HIV/AIDS and we are committed to doing so through a racial justice and equity lens. Standing in solidarity and taking action for groups that face discrimination and marginalization is woven into the fabric of our agency’s DNA. Because of the toxicity of racism, so pervasive in our society, and the abuse of power by individuals and systems that perpetuate it, our work is often hindered, our impact is threatened, and our client’s lives remain vulnerable to the external, yet intentional, forces surrounding them every single day.
From the beginning, Chicago House’s mission has been centered on HIV/AIDS. As a result, we continue to fight tirelessly to address the disproportionate impact the virus has had on black and brown communities. These disproportionate rates of infection are unfortunately not unique to HIV/AIDS, however, as the world has witnessed first-hand during this year’s COVID-19 pandemic.
Tragically, black and brown communities need not only fear viruses, as recent events starkly remind us. Racism is tearing at the social fabric of our country and decimating black and brown families. Structural racism in our country has plagued black and brown communities for centuries, and the lack of commitment to racial justice is evidenced daily.
We are at a pivotal and terrifying point in our history where all of us must raise our voices to end this cycle of abuse and fear to help heal this divide. As an organization, we reject racism. We reject xenophobia, and we reject abuse of power and authority. We will fight for justice. We demand accountability, and we stand in solidarity with populations who face discrimination and marginalization.
Chicago House remains fully committed to doing our work through the lens of racial justice and equity. In 2020, we commit to formalizing a plan of action that will propel our work forward from the vantage point that lens dictates.
With humility and in service,
Michael T. Herman
Chief Executive Officer
Chicago House
Ryan T. Garrison
Chair, Board of Trustees
Chicago House