IPM Statement: In Solidarity and Against Injustice

June 5, 2020—Over the past few months, we have found our lives disrupted by the novel coronavirus. Now we are confronting a much older and more insidious horror as we grapple with the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, and the longstanding brutality and injustice against Black lives. We share the deep anguish being expressed in the US and around the world.

As an organization working to address inequities in HIV prevention, we know that racism and discrimination drive the disproportionate impact of epidemics in communities of color and other historically marginalized groups, as has also become painfully clear with COVID-19. The past few weeks have tragically underscored that our individual realities, including how and whether our human rights are recognized, are not the same. 

IPM firmly stands against all forms of racism and discrimination, and joins the call for justice for Black lives. We must all speak out but also reflect on what each of us can do to end systemic racism and build a society where every life holds equal value.