Jubilee Housing works to build diverse, compassionate communities that create opportunities for everyone to thrive. We do this by creating justice through housing – justice housing.
We are heartbroken and angered by the lives taken, and join the voices of so many demanding justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and all those that have lost their lives due to persistent personal and systemic racism. Black Lives Matter, unequivocally.
Jubilee Housing was founded in another time of great unrest, after the riots that followed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in response to tremendous racial and economic inequalities that presented themselves in substandard housing. Today we see that despite our perceived progress, the cracks in our nation’s foundation run deep.
COVID-19 has stripped away the blinders, as black and brown communities are bearing a highly disproportionate share of the death toll. This tragedy further exposes the decades of structural discrimination resulting in wealth and income gaps that impact every aspect of life and especially health and wellbeing. Now, these horrific acts of violence further underscores the degree to which our institutions, and we as people, continue to be trapped by racism.
We find ourselves again in a period of profound upheaval and grief, and we cannot stand by in silence. The time has come to rise up together to address these inequities. Jubilee Housing affirms our commitment to racial equity and resolves to put it at the forefront of our work.
There is so much we have to do to uproot systemic racism in our country. We have to recognize it in ourselves and call it out in our friends and family. We must promote equity in our businesses, organizations, and levels of government so that voices long marginalized have the power to affect change. We must vote for and enact reforms in every aspect of our justice system that exploits and mass incarcerates black Americans.
We
must build a foundation for justice through housing and help give place and voice
to a community that has yet to receive the promise of an equal and just
society.
From slavery, to sharecropping, Jim Crow, redlining, and mass incarceration –
all the formal and informal ways we discriminate today – controlling where and
how people of color live has been a key pillar of racism. In our own city, we
know that residents who live in Wards 7 & 8 can expect to live 20 years less than residents living
in Wards 2 & 3. We know that zip codes have power – research by Raj Chetty
and others show that zip code is the single highest predictor of future
success.
While we continue to do the work of providing deeply affordable housing and supportive services, we affirm our commitment to asking questions, listening, learning, and understanding the impact decisions and policies we implement have on the communities we serve.
Housing alone will not end personal and systemic racism, but it is a foundation for justice. Ensuring that all residents are able to live and thrive in DC will go a long way in helping us achieve equity. Together we can rise up, demand justice, and continue this critical work.
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This moment must be one of change. Here are some resources for taking action, learning, and healing.