I made this petition because I believe it is crucial for individuals, particularly those in positions of comfort and privilege, to confront their prejudices head on. As a white person, I feel it is our duty to hold each other accountable for any form of racism. We should work to de-normalize this issue. 

Staff members who are people of color at our local retirement community have been subjected to racist slurs and “jokes”; such as “joking” about “whipping them”, calling them dogs, and not referring to them as their names. These aren't slip-ups or misunderstandings and are not at all funny. They're deliberate acts of dehumanization, and they happen too often. It shouldn’t happen even once. 

What makes this worse is that many of these incidents go unreported because staff have seen what happens when people do speak up. In the past, when racist or inappropriate behavior has been reported, the response has been inadequate. A quick talking to. Maybe a slap on the wrist. But nothing that actually stops it from happening again. Staff have learned that coming forward means putting themselves out there for nothing. So the ones who do want to say something(or have) end up staying quiet, and the behavior continues. 

I grew up witnessing my white father degrade and be racist towards my mother, a brown, predominantly Mexican woman. I saw how it affected her image of herself. I watched my little sister, who took on more of her features, internalize what that meant for her. She felt left out. She was sad hearing him criticize things in our mom that she knew show up in her too. She was a little girl. That kind of racism doesn't just hurt in the moment. It can shape how people see themselves, how they move through the world, their feelings of safety, and a lot more. 

This retirement community has become a place where racism goes unchecked. There may be future caregivers, kitchen staff, maintenance workers, receptionists, and etc, who are people of color and walk into an environment that doesn’t stick up for them properly. People of color who work here deserve to do their jobs without being verbally abused. They deserve a workplace that doesn't tolerate racial harassment. Right now, they don't have that.

And what about  possible new residents who might be people of color? They deserve to move into a community that feels welcoming and safe, not one where this kind of behavior is an open secret that management refuses to address seriously.

This has to stop. We are calling on the management and ownership of this retirement community to implement a zero-tolerance policy for racist behavior. This means actual consequences for residents who engage in racial harassment or use racial slurs against staff. In severe or repeated cases, this should include eviction. It means transparent reporting processes so staff feel safe coming forward. It means accountability when those reports are made.

The aim of this petition is not to create division but to demand that this community live up to basic standards of human decency. Everyone deserves to live and work in an environment free from hate, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that racism is not allowed to fester.

Please join me in demanding action and accountability. Sign this petition to show that you stand against racism in all its forms and that you support real consequences for those who perpetuate it. Together, we should strive to create a community where every individual is valued and are respected, regardless of their race or background.