GAIN’s Commitment to Anti-Racism

June 18, 2020

At Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network (GAIN), our vision is safety, freedom, and opportunity for all. For centuries, Black people in the United States have had their safety threatened every day. At GAIN, we are committed to working together with our community to change that.

We want to state this clearly: Black lives matter. We know that this message is not enough to put us on the path to anti-racist action, just as we know that it is our responsibility to use our voices and our abilities to stand up in solidarity in a meaningful way. We are transforming together, and while we work on our plan of action at GAIN, we commit to taking concrete steps toward equity throughout our organization and community. Our commitment to our Black clients, staff, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and loved ones is this: we support you, we stand by you and beside you, and we will not stop fighting or be silent against the discrimination and hate that you have faced.

This month, as we work toward a better and safer future together, we have also been honoring two communities through awareness: June is both Immigrant Heritage Month and Pride Month.

At GAIN, we work with immigrant victims of crime and persecution to help them secure legal immigration status in the U.S. In addition to our client population, many of our GAIN staff, Board of Directors, and Advisory Board members are immigrants or the proud children, spouses, and families of immigrants in the U.S. This June, please join us in honoring the immigrant heritage that so many of us share.

And June is also Pride Month. Since 2005, GAIN has worked with many LGBTQ+ clients who have fled persecution or abuse due to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity, working alongside them as they seek safety and security here in the U.S. We are proud to be a welcoming organization to everyone who needs our help, and in the midst of a complex and heartbreaking moment in American history, we also join our LGBTQ+ clients, supporters, and friends in celebrating this June.

As a nation, it is our diversity that fuels our strength. Just like our clients, our staff and supporters live at the intersection of many different identities, and it is our shared humanity that brings us together. This month and every month, we stand with immigrants, communities of color, Black people, LGBTQ+ individuals, and marginalized communities.

Thank you, on behalf of the team at Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network, for standing with us.