An Ally in the Pursuit of Justice, Equality, and Human Rights

We at the Refugee Education Center witness the effects of systemic racism and the consequential effects of historical inequalities every day in our work with refugees in West Michigan.

As an organization, we serve the community with an aspirational vision of a thriving, multicultural West Michigan where all have an opportunity to pursue a better future and where refugees can become fully participating members of the community. Unfortunately, recent events have shown that this vision is only possible when human rights are recognized and protected — and when justice and equality prevail.

Our mission is driven by a diverse group of individuals—our volunteers, financial supporters, and staff. Together, we serve refugees whose ethnicities, cultures, and countries of origin truly represent our global society.

We’ve joined the chorus of the #BlackLivesMatter movement and state that the Refugee Education Center is your ally in the pursuit of justice, equality, and human rights. This response is not simply born out of recent events, rather it is an acknowledgement of centuries of racial disparity and mistreatment of African Americans in the United States, and ethnic minorities across the globe.

We are hopeful that lawmakers, law enforcement leaders, and community representatives hear these calls for change and act swiftly and fairly to address these concerns. We pledge our support to these efforts in hopes of fostering equality throughout West Michigan. We also pledge our support to our community partners, the Urban Core Collective and the Urban League of West Michigan, whose tireless efforts strive to bring equity to all members of our community.