On this day (January 18) set aside to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we know that there is much work yet to be done. Black Americans continue to disproportionately experience adversity and hardship, as reflected in higher rates of unemployment and food insecurity, on-going health disparities, and poorer outcomes across most social and economic determinants of health and well-being.
In 1963, in response to a public statement of concern and caution issued by white religious leaders of the South, from a Birmingham jail where he was imprisoned as a participant in nonviolent demonstrations against segregation, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."
Second Harvest Food Bank's stated mission is to address both the immediate needs of families for food assistance, as well as the root causes of hunger and food insecurity. The latter necessarily includes action to address structural racism and implicit bias both within and outside our organization.
As we embark on this New Year, we ask that you continue to find ways to support our work toward the goal of making our communities better places to live for everyone.
