Dear friend, 

Over the last few months, our country has been wounded by an invisible enemy that has already claimed over 120,000 American lives. We have all had to change our way of life to protect ourselves and our loved ones from falling victim to this insidious virus. And while these changes have been necessary, it has not been easy.

Months of social distancing, the fear associated with it, and the fact that many of our neighbors, family members or fellow Americans are now unemployed, has led to tremendous strife, anxiety and hostility in our country. One of the most alarming and disheartening things we learned about the Covid-19 coronavirus, is that it has disproportionately ravaged communities of color. At one point, in Chicago, over 70% of Covid-19 deaths were in the Black community. Soon after, Hispanics became the community with the highest infection rate.

Add to that the horrendous murder of George Floyd, a black man, at the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer, and the fact that we’ve seen a variant of this situation too many times before, it was enough to explode the powder keg that had been filling for years. I don’t condone the looting and the violence. It’s wrong. But what’s worse is the years of systemic racism and injustice that has been committed against people of color, especially to the Black community.

It breaks my heart to see that what is very justified righteous indignation has been obscured by the focus on the unrighteous criminal acts of opportunists. Those criminal acts should never enlist more outrage than the systemic racism still prevalent in America today, or the murder of a black man by a person sworn to serve and protect.

Today is Juneteenth. As we commemorate the end of slavery, let's all take an opportunity to stand against racism. Not just today - but everyday. I stand with every Black person in America who is righteously protesting the inequalities and the systemic racism still very much alive in our country. And I thank every person, regardless of their race, who does the same, whether it’s by taking to the streets in peaceful protest alongside our Black brothers and sisters, or using their voices and power to demand fundamental change.

And let me be clear - I love my country with all my heart because I’ve always believed in the best of what America represents. If we are to ever reach our highest ideals, society can no longer continue to turn a blind eye to the disparities in access to quality education, capital, and healthcare; the lack of good jobs available; and a broken social and criminal justice system that makes poverty a pipeline to prison. We can and must do better.

As your Comptroller, I will continue to use my voice to amplify the voices of those who feel they are muted or don’t matter. I will continue to prioritize payments to the vulnerable and continue highlighting why investing in human capital is a path out of systemic injustice. Doing so is both the morally correct thing to do and it’s fiscally sound.

As always, thank you for your continued support. I sincerely hope you and your families are doing well, are safe and healthy. We will see better times ahead and we will move forward, together.

Susana A. Mendoza
Illinois Comptroller

Susana Mendoza
6351 West Montrose Ave
#301
Chicago, IL 60634
United States

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