The murder of Adam Toledo at the hands of Chicago Police is indefensible. As an organization that works regularly with Chicago youth, we see in Adam what we see in other young people we work with every day – people that are important members of our community who make our city stronger and better. He was killed because the foundation of our policing system is violence and racism, and it runs through every piece of the machinery.
Youth of color are not only victims of police violence, but also victims of government’s failure to provide real opportunity and true investment in their lives. They are victims of a bureaucracy that will not listen to their voices as they call for defunding the police and investing those funds in treatment, education, housing, health care, and their communities.
Chicago Coalition for the Homeless condemns Adam’s murder and supports his family and our peers who demand justice, accountability, and change. We join with them as we continue to push to dismantle the structures that perpetuate racism and trauma, and work to build inclusive structures that embody love and support.
Chicago Coalition for the Homeless is now Chicago Coalition to end Homelessness (CCH).