The last several weeks have been difficult to process. From the growing migrant crisis in our city, to observing the escalating tensions in our communities, to bearing witness to the destruction and devastation between Israel and Palestine, our hearts and souls ache. We ache for the migrants from Africa, Central and South America, and the Caribbean who have been in search of safety and a better life, only to find themselves sleeping on floors and watching our city tear itself apart. We cry while witnessing the loss of life in both Palestine and Israel and the devastation taking place in Palestine. We also recognize the hurt and feeling of invisibility of the thousands of Chicago residents, many of them Black, who are unhoused and have yet to find any solution. And the continued divestment, disinvestment, and broken promises made to our communities of color.
What we are experiencing in real-time is the continued displacement of people who have been marginalized. As a first-generation U.S.-born Puerto Rican, displacement has happened to my people since the United States colonized and occupied the island. Puerto Ricans continue to migrate to the U.S. in high numbers because of climate change, disaster capitalism that is gentrifying the island at a terrifying rate, and austerity measures that have stripped Puerto Ricans of their resources, assets, and livelihoods. The migrants trying to find a home in the United States, and in Chicago in particular, have been displaced from their homelands due to destabilizing investment and foreign policy practices. Palestinians are currently, and historically, being killed and forcibly displaced from their country. Israelis are being attacked because of their government’s hardline tactics and refusal to center the humanity of Palestinians. We are watching and feeling the ramifications of displacement — of losing one’s home, of craving safety and belonging, and deserving a better quality of life. We are experiencing the consequences of foreign policy decisions made by global powers, of neoliberalism, of settler colonialism, and all of the practices that prioritize profit over people and that value resources over dignity and respect. We are all at the mercy of decisions being made by others who do not walk in our shoes.
As we face these challenging times, our commitment remains unwavering to those advocating for justice, equity, and dignity. In the midst of overwhelming global unrest and local strife, we pledge our solidarity with Israelis and those of the Jewish faith who are speaking out against oppressive tactics, with Palestinians struggling for their self-determination, with organizations demanding accountability, with advocates fighting for migrant rights, and with local groups battling disinvestment in Chicago. Our shared pain and history of displacement underscore the importance of unity. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the activists, advocates, and community members determined to shine a light on the darkness of oppression. Together, in the collective strength of our resolve, Woods Fund Chicago believes a better world is not just possible, but inevitable.
