Boston, Mass. – “The shooting and murder of several Asian American women in Georgia yesterday is yet another tragedy that follows an increase in violence toward the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in this country. We stand in solidarity with the AAPI community to grieve their loss and their collective pain over the rising attacks against Asian Americans over the past year. We also decry violence rooted in misogyny, which may have contributed to this attack.

When there is an attack on one of us, it is an attack on all of us. Unfortunately, in the last several years, we have heard too many words of hate and anger directed at Asian Americans. Too often, violent action and hate crimes have followed such words. And especially in the past year, political leaders sought to distract from their own failures managing the pandemic by targeting the AAPI and other immigrant communities. This is intolerable and we all must do everything we can to combat it.

The Massachusetts Law Reform Institute stands against racial hatred, discrimination, white supremacy, and terrorism and will continue to work to counteract the harmful effects it has on our society and especially on communities of color.”

If you are interested in speaking with Georgia Katsoulomitis Executive Director or Virginia Benzan Director of MLRI’s Racial Equity and Justice Project, please contact Suzanne Morse at suzanne@sevenletter.com or by phone at 617-646-1020.

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About the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute

Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) is a nonprofit poverty law and policy center. It provides statewide advocacy and leadership in advancing laws, policies, and practices that secure economic, racial, and social justice for low-income people and communities. MLRI advances its mission through legal initiatives and policy reforms that address the root causes of poverty, remove barriers to opportunity, and create a path to economic stability for low-income individuals, families, and communities.  For more information, please visit www.mlri.org or follow us on Twitter (@MassLawReform) and Facebook.