At Ipas, we are both committed human rights advocates and caring neighbors. We join in the nation’s collective outrage and pain following the killing of George Floyd and the brutal treatment of so many Black people and people of color. And we stand with Black communities across the United States in frustration, in anger, in pain and in protest.

Hundreds of years of systemic racism and structural power inequity takes a grim toll. We know this well, as dismantling systems of oppression like racism and patriarchy is at the core of Ipas’s mission. That these systems are thriving is evident in the grim statistics of American life—from COVID-19 fatalities to incarceration rates to ever-increasing restrictions on abortion care.

At Ipas, our vision is of a world where everyone has the right to determine their own future. Without autonomy, safety and dignity, people are not free to exercise this right. Racial justice and reproductive justice are intertwined. We know that just having the right to health, to bodily autonomy or to abortion isn’t enough. Marginalized communities face economic, cultural, religious and systemic barriers that often keep them from accessing their rights.

As we mourn the loss of life, as we fear for ourselves and our children, and as we approach the future with anxiety, I want you to know that Ipas will continue to work for justice.

Wishing you safety and health during these difficult times.

In solidarity, 

Anu Kumar 

Ipas President and CEO