It might be easier to count the Brooklyn apartment buildings Johnny Rivera hasn’t visited instead…
Black Lives Matter.
Dear Brooklyn A Family: We are in the midst of a moral moment for this country, as an organization and as individuals. The murders in recent weeks of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade and other Black community members across the nation at the hands of police and due to deep-rooted racism and white supremacy sparked a powerful and far-reaching mobilization demanding an end to systemic violence against Black people, and people of color more broadly. These instances only add to the grief and exhaustion of communities of color, who have experienced a rise in hate crimes recently and, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, make up the majority of essential workers in our communities, and continue to face the most significant losses due to the crisis. Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter. Brooklyn A stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. We affirm our commitment for over a half of century to challenge systemic injustice that commits violence against communities of color each and every day. Our mission is to advance social and economic justice by empowering communities through innovative, collaborative, neighborhood-based legal representation and advocacy. We have always worked to amplify the voices of our clients, who are predominately people of color, immigrants, and low-income. Now more than ever we must use our legal, advocacy, and organizing tools to support community resilience and ensure that our clients do not lose their homes through foreclosure or eviction, that our clients can continue providing critical services to their communities through their small businesses and community based non-profit organizations, and that our clients find support at Brooklyn A for their struggles against injustice. Brooklyn A condemns white supremacy and militaristic nationalism. We condemn systemic racism and inequality, which has become even more deadly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the disparate impact of the virus on Black and Brown communities. We stand with the thousands, if not millions, of individuals across our city, country, and around the world expressing outrage and sorrow and calling for systemic accountability and change. In solidarity, |