July 1, 2021 – The Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (MOCADSV) condemns the violence of white supremacy and racism. We grieve the recent loss of life of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Dreasjon Reed, Tony McDade, as well as the countless black and brown lives lost to racist violence. We reflect on the legacy of violence in our own community as we near the six-year anniversary of the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson. Right now in Missouri there are 21 active hate groups operating that are affiliated with the Ku Klux Klan and white nationalist organizations. Let us be clear when we say this: racism has no place here.

MOCADSV staff know that we must do more than condemn white supremacy, grieve for its victims, reflect and recognize our own state’s history and ongoing racism. The moral imperative of our work is to take action, to address the racism that harms the individual survivors of color who represent one in three of those served by Missouri domestic and sexual violence agencies.

We reaffirm our principles that we are called to address racism, and its expression through overt and covert violence, as inherent in our movement to end rape and abuse. Our mission is to unite Missourians with a shared value that rape and abuse must end, and we advance this through education, alliance, research and public policy. We are committed to advancing our mission through the critical lens of racial equity and justice.

Education: MOCADSV provides education and training to a broad range of audiences, and we acknowledge the different values and perceptions that exist in our state. We invite others to join us in learning how biases and structural barriers keep communities of color from being able to access resources vital to safety and well-being. 

Alliance: Advocates of color have been organizing and advising the domestic and sexual violence movement for decades, but are often left on the margins. MOCADSV will continue providing leadership ladders for advocates of color to have their expertise centered in our work to end rape and abuse.

Research: One of MOCADSV’s ongoing priorities is educating the general public about domestic and sexual violence. Part of that work is compiling annual statistics on the work our member agencies do, demographic information about individuals provided with life-saving services in Missouri. MOCADSV will continue researching the extent to which survivors of color experience domestic and sexual violence, and the inequitable access to criminal justice, healthcare, education and housing.

Public Policy: We represent the voices of Missouri’s survivors. We ensure their stories are heard, and that government responds appropriately to one of the most pressing social justice issues of our time—domestic and sexual violence against women, men and children. MOCADSV is committed to centering our public policy work on health and racial equity. We have joined many other state coalitions and our national partners at the National Network to End Domestic Violence and the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence in signing a letter from the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights calling for federal reform to policing. We are also endorsing the ballot initiative to expand Medicaid in Missouri. In our work to end rape, abuse and racial violence, we must address the underlying conditions that perpetuate violence and oppression.