Reflecting Upon the Past Two Weeks’ Events

The last two weeks’ events have been recognizably troubling, possibly causing mental distress and fatigue for many of us, our families, and the communities we serve:

• We mourn Courtney Eshay Key and Tyianna Alexander, two vibrant Black trans women in our community, whose lives were stolen by hate crimes, violence, and discrimination motivated by transphobia.
• We are disillusioned with the Kenosha County District Attorney’s announcement that Rusten Sheskey, the police officer who shot Jacob Blake seven times in front of his children in August, will not be criminally charged.
• We are disheartened by the security breach at the U.S. Capitol. Furthermore, we are appalled at the noticeable difference in the use of force on those committing acts of sedition compared to the violent and unlawful use of force against peaceful protestors and activists for Black lives that we saw last year. It is an abhorrent display of racist hypocrisy and attests to the racial inequities that affect all our communities. Even though the attempted coup did not succeed, it was still an intrusion into our democracy, a day that will not be forgotten.

Howard Brown Health will continue forging space for the experiences of all those affected by violence and discrimination. We will continue to uphold our solemn commitment to fight tirelessly for dignity, safety, and justice for marginalized communities. As we continue to respond to our patients’ and community members’ physical and emotional needs, we encourage you to take a moment to check in on your family, friends, loved ones, and yourself.

It is vitally important to practice self-care during these times and maintain a healthy relationship with ourselves. We cannot give to others what we do not have ourselves. We encourage you to check-in with yourself and be mindful of your own needs during this time. 

We appreciate all of our patients, clients, and staff and we are committed to your safety, physical, and mental well-being. We are closely monitoring current events. We have emergency preparedness plans in place to ensure our patients’ safety. Thank you for your support to Howard Brown Health. This week was particularly hard, and we appreciate that you choose us for your healthcare.