Statement from the Netter Center on Recent Tragic Events

From Ira Harkavy, Founding Director, Netter Center for Community Partnerships, its Staff and Community Advisory Board

The senseless, brutal killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and so many other Black Americans, as well as the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on people of color, starkly and undeniably reveal the pernicious prevalence of racism in all its forms—from racist attitudes and behaviors to institutional and structural racism embedded in 400 years of American history.  Working with our community partners, the Netter Center is committed to contributing to the significant reduction and eventual eradication of racial injustice and inequality, helping to build an inclusive, equitable, “beloved community” (as called for by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) in West Philadelphia, Philadelphia and beyond.  At this deeply troubling time, we pursue this commitment with relentless dedication and unshakeable resolve.