LAUNY DOES NOT TOLERATE RACISM.
The Lupus Alliance of Upstate New York is deeply, morally enraged by people and practices that deny equal rights and opportunities for all people. While George Floyd is the reason we march today, it would be a sin of omission to disregard the lives of countless others whose lives have been cut short by systemic racism. Still, we acknowledge that it is George Floyd’s death that brought us to this long overdue, no-going-back moment.
LAUNY does not tolerate racism. It has no place in our programs, governance, or funding. Racism has no place in our society. The word itself has but one appropriate use in our language and that is to inform the principles that abolish racism in every form and to establish consequences for any who violate those principles.
As a health education organization, we are witness to the suffering caused by an inconsistent and biased healthcare system. In spite of significant medical advancements made over the past century, lupus has largely been ignored. To this day, it takes an average of six years just to be diagnosed.
What has this to do with racism? Lupus is a disease that disproportionately affects people of color. BIPOC individuals (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) are two to three times more likely to have lupus, display symptoms at a younger age, are more likely to suffer multiple autoimmune conditions, and have shorter life expectancy. These are conditions of the disease as experienced by the BIPOC community. And those conditions are tragically exacerbated by the inequities of our society – poverty and restricted access to education, nutrition, and adequate health care.
The Lupus Alliance of Upstate New York will continue to serve all who are affected by lupus and related autoimmune diseases, through inclusion and collaboration, in all matters of service, governance, and advocacy. Join us.
Yours in solidarity.
Judith Burnett Christian
President & CEO