On the eve of Juneteenth, the day rightfully dedicated to commemorating the end of slavery and the importance of Black freedom and Black lives, Food for the Hungry affirms and proclaims that Black lives matter.
We stand in solidarity with our Black colleagues, friends, neighbors, and brothers and sisters in Christ. Together, we pursue an equitable and just world for all of God’s children.
Through this time of deep discomfort and self-reflection, Food for the Hungry acknowledges the ways in which we have met racist systems of injustice, both in the U.S. and abroad, with passivity rather than action. It is from this painful – though necessary – introspection that we can see our faults and invite the Lord to work within us.
Even as an organization that has been committed to combating injustice in all of its forms for nearly 50 years, we now join with the psalmist in asking God to search our hearts for any wicked ways (Psalms 139:23-24).
From this point forward, we dedicate ourselves to anti-racist action in pursuit of redemption and reconciliation. Not just today, not just tomorrow, but always. We declare that we have not done enough, and that we hunger for justice and to be instruments of systemic and structural change.
Internally, we are starting with:
- Dedicating a day of prayer, reflection, repentance, and contrition for all staff of Food for the Hungry everywhere we work.
- Reviewing and revising our policies, practices, and programs to hold ourselves accountable and ensure the equitable treatment of every staff member, our partners, and those we serve.
- Closing our U.S. offices on June 19, 2020, in commemoration of Juneteenth and in support of and solidarity with Black freedom and Black lives.
To the families of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and the thousands of others who have died at the hands of institutional and individual racism in America and around the globe: we mourn with you, we pray with you, and we seek justice with you.
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24
