“It is our belief that everyone has the right to live..”

We recognize and support every person’s right to be included in the life of the community.

It is our belief that every person has the right to live in a loving home and in a caring community as an active and accepted member.

Mission Statement of Arkansas Support Network

It is our belief that every person has the right to live…

Ensuring that every person has a right to live requires that we recognize systemic injustices that obstruct this right.  We recognize that there are systemic injustices that oppress Black Americans and that those injustices are often fatal. At ASN, we know that it’s not enough to just believe. We know that we must work to live out our beliefs  

Today and every day forward, we mourn the death of George Floyd.  We mourn for Tony McDade.  We mourn for Breonna Taylor.  We mourn for Ahmaud Arbery.  We mourn for all Black lives lost to white supremacy and police violence.    

In honor of their lives and the fight for justice, we recognize that fulfilling our mission must include the following commitments:

·  We commit to the work of dismantling systemic injustices of racism and ableism experienced by Black folks with disabilities in Arkansas.  

·  We commit to cultivating safe spaces for Black Direct Support Professionals to seek support from ASN leadership teams regarding their unique concerns and/or fears related to encounters with law enforcement in the work that they do.   

·  We commit to following the guidance and leadership of people of color with disabilities to raise consciousness about the intersections of racism and ableism. 

·  We commit to continuous learning about the necessity of dismantling systems of oppression.

Silence on these matters is a violent privilege that we firmly reject.  At ASN, we believe that Black lives, not only matter, but should thrive and be lived out fully without interruption by racism, white supremacy, and hate.