“For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead.” -James 2:26

At a visceral level, I first learned of systemic racism and police brutality from a neighbor named Charles. He is a man who is exceptionally kind, a man who once saw me on the street spanking my screaming, snow-suit clad toddler in frustration and immediately called my phone. “Why didn’t you come get me if you were having trouble with her? You know I would have helped.”

This is also a man who was imprisoned at age 16 for a life sentence: a sentence that is now unconstitutional, too cruel for a minor. He was locked up after having confessed to knocking on a door--a door that then opened to men who committed four homicides. He was released from the physical prison near age 40, but continued to carry the felonies on his record everywhere he went. 

When he first told me his story, he came to the night of his arrest, and, explaining his false confession, said these words: “I had never been tortured before.”  (*Note: The police chief of that era was later imprisoned for actions including using torture to gain confessions.)

I had not realized that I lived in a country that did such things. I now know that I do.

Today, as I see many organizations and corporations speaking out against racism and the killing of George Floyd, I want to do the same--but with a caveat. A statement cannot be just empty words. To simply write words we are not willing to support would make a mockery of those who truly suffer at racism’s hands. I cannot speak words that I would not be willing to say fervently to my friend Charles, one for whom empty philosophy will do little. Below is a statement crafted in collaboration with the other staff and leaders of R CITY. This statement of values is meant to last far beyond the present moment. It is an articulation of why R CITY does what it does, a record of the philosophies that were integral in its founding. It is a statement that the family of R CITY has put its hands to the work of making reality. Together, we will continue to do so.

With gratitude for this family,
Elizabeth Galik, Executive Director

*Composed June 7, 2020

R CITY's Commitment to Racial Justice

Founding Values & Present Practices

Black lives matter.

Black life is at the heart of the body that is R CITY. From the hearts of our African-American staff, board, families, and youth, blackness runs through R CITY’s veins. Without the black brothers and sisters who lend their hearts and hands to R CITY, our body could not live.

To an infinite degree, the loss of any one of those black lives matters.

And the loss of any black life we have never met matters just as much as the loss of those closest to the heart of R CITY. 

When any black adult is killed--Mr. George, Ms. Breonna, & Mr. Ahmaud, among the cloud of witnesses--or any child--Trayvon & Tamir, among the other beloveds—we commit to not only mourning the pain of their death. We also commit to working to ensure that no more names are added to the list of those sacrificed to the idol of systemic racism. This work is not unfamiliar; as an urban organization, death and injury are no strangers to us. We commit to fighting the death and dangers of racism with the same passion we fight the death and dangers of gun violence. Because we can win no fight alone, we recommit to our mission in this regard as well: to bring together the best around us to build a world where our families will flourish.

Black pain matters. The beautiful power that runs through black culture exists in the face of centuries of persecution. We believe that our black brothers and sisters within R CITY, as well as our other brothers and sisters of color, face trauma each time one of their own is harmed. We commit to taking actions interpersonally and organizationally to make space for our brothers and sisters to mourn, to speak their minds, to protest, and to heal in whatever way is necessary. 

Black homes matter. While public communications are necessary to clarify our beliefs and intents, the care of our families and staff is the primary priority of our organization. Whether the households at the heart of R CITY are celebrating landmark achievements or facing pain, danger, or scarcity, our first action will be to lend our hands to our beloved community. Even as we address our world, we will do so to mobilize those who love R CITY for the good of the families we love.

Systemic racism is real. We have seen the incredible evil done by institutional racism, both deliberately and without intent, throughout global history that persists through the present. We commit to listening to the experiences of our black brothers and sisters and our brothers and sisters of color. We commit to believing them when they speak of coming against the often unseen evils that work for their harm. We commit to working together with them to break the chains of racism that ensnare our society.

Centering blackness matters. Both in the ongoing leadership of our organization and especially in any discussion of black oppression, we believe that black voices must be amplified. We commit to hearing the black voices speaking around and within R CITY to find the path Christ would take and the words Christ would say through any racial crisis, but also daily operations. We believe in magnifying the black voices we value to those around us, helping those who trust R CITY to trust the black voices we trust.

Leaders’ accountability matters. Since each leader has blind spots to the cultural and personal sins most common to them, we believe our leaders must be accountable. We commit to maintaining an open culture that allows R CITY members to respectfully correct others. Since this is pivotal for white leaders of programs that serve BIPOC (black, indigenous, and people of color) youth and families, we especially commit to maintaining avenues for their growth. Because addressing one’s supervisor requires risk, we commit to making our board accessible to advocate for our staff, ensuring they are not alone in such conversations.

Black authority matters. Since decisions are ultimately made by R CITY’s leaders, we commit to having, listening to, and honoring black voices of leadership within our board of directors, staff, and leading youth positions. We commit to constantly raising up BIPOC young people from our community, building a path for them to walk into leadership not only in the world, but within our own organization. We commit to ensuring that black voices have weight not only in daily operations, but also in resource allocation.

Black income matters. While R CITY has the small financial resources common to new nonprofits, we commit to sharing them justly among those who labor with R CITY. We commit to our board and directors examining compensation annually, ensuring it is equitably paid to our staff and apprentices. We further commit to use every opportunity to get resources into the hands of the BIPOC youth and families of our community by facilitating entrepreneurship, apprenticeships, employment, scholarships, and relief. We also commit to sharing resources with neighborhood partners led by BIPOC leaders, releasing the overflow given to us for them to distribute as they see best.

Community that celebrates blackness matters. Today and in the days to come, we at R CITY commit to listen to the voices of our black brothers and sisters, to welcome their wisdom, to glory in their celebrations, to see their pain, to stand with them in their fight, and to address the wrongs not only around us but within us. We commit the same for our other brothers and sisters of color. 

Learning and changing matters. Not mentioned here are many injustices that affect our neighbors, from the centuries-old violence against America’s first nations and the genocides in Latin America to the current legislation restricting the home countries of many of our neighbors, including Puerto Rico and Mexico. Knowing there is much in our world of which we are not fully aware, we commit to learning what the oppressed among us face and following their lead on how best to work alongside them for truth and justice.

From our smallest preschooler to our wisest elder, we celebrate and honor what black lives & lives of color bring to R CITY. May God never let us underestimate how much they matter.