The Arc is grieving the immeasurable loss of life and condemning the racially motivated killings at three spas in the Atlanta, Georgia area. A white gunman shot and killed six Asian women and two other people during the rampage. The Arc condemns these killings and continues to condemn all actions motivated by racism and hate.

“Sadly, we have been witnessing an escalation of racism, violence, and harassment against Asian Americans and Asian people around the world since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We must recognize these incidents as racially motivated, and we call on our nation’s leaders to support the Asian-American community and take action to ensure that those responsible for the brutal attacks in Georgia and elsewhere are held accountable.

“The Arc is unified in solidarity with Asian and Asian-American communities. It is not enough to simply reject racism. We must be anti-racist to truly address the hateful attacks on these communities and all communities of color.

“At The Arc, we advocate for human and civil rights, and as an organization, we continue our efforts to better understand and address the persistence of racism, white supremacy, and the impact on those who live at the intersection of multiply marginalized identities. We commit to continuing our own equity journey as an organization and pledge to lift the voices of those who are directly impacted by racism, ableism, sexism, and all other forms of oppression.

“There is no time or place for such hate,” said Peter Berns, Chief Executive Officer of The Arc.