Statement from Child Trends on Fighting Racism

Child Trends stands with our nation’s Black communities in outrage and grief over the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and other victims of racist violence by police and others. We stand with protesters determined to build a just and equitable future in which all children grow up free from the scourge of racism.

This terrible moment in history challenges us to recommit ourselves to the fight against racism and for justice. Child Trends is committed to improving the lives and prospects of children and youth, and we embrace that challenge. As a research organization, we will intensify our efforts to shine a light on the effects of structural and interpersonal racism on children and youth of color.

The impact of racism on children is all around us: Black children whose parents are taken from them by police violence and incarceration, Latino children caged at the border, American Indian children whose communities lack clean running water, and Asian American children whose communities have been falsely blamed for a pandemic. Children of color grow up in a society that too often devalues them solely because of their skin color or national origin. Data highlight unacceptable disparities in health, education, and other key outcomes for children and youth of color. Research attests to the lasting physical, mental, and economic toll that racism takes on children.

Let us honor George Floyd and other victims of racism by affirming that Black Lives Matter and by working tirelessly to end racism against people of color everywhere.