To our community, our supporters, our peers, and our colleagues,



We are the founders and executive board of MedSupplyDrive, a volunteer organization created in March 2020 to address personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages and assist workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. As an organization, our mission from the beginning was to actively protect workers on the frontlines and shed light on unequal distribution of this basic need for personal protective equipment. We are devastated and furious about the recent events of racist violence across this country, including but not limited to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery and the egregious acts of police brutality against protesters nationwide. George Floyd was a member of the Minneapolis community who was killed outside of a grocery store. Breonna Taylor was an emergency medical technician in Louisville who was killed by police who forcibly entered her home. Ahmaud Arbery was a runner who was chased and murdered by armed residents while out for a jog in Brunswick. And these are just a few of the names. These are just a few of the lives of Black people that have been ended in the last few months due to blatant acts of racist violence. There are countless other names and stories we do not know. There are countless other acts of violence against Black people that do not receive national attention, and that is a tragedy in and of itself.

Currently, protests have been happening nationwide as people demand justice for these murders and the ongoing, centuries-long campaign of violence against Black people. These protests have been met with immediate and uncontrolled violence from police forces across the country, and these instances of police brutality continue to disproportionately impact Black people. As an organization founded on principles of equity and redistributive justice, we unequivocally condemn these murders and the police violence against protestors that has ensued. It is unconscionable at any time, but especially during a public health crisis caused by a respiratory disease, that an individual's cries of “I can’t breathe” were willfully ignored, leading to his untimely demise. We must stand together as volunteers, healthcare workers, artists, medical students, public health professionals, and community members to speak out against these unjust and unacceptable conditions.

As a volunteer organization that was founded to address the public health crisis of COVID-19, it is vital that we use our voices and our platform to address this public health crisis as well. Racism is a public health crisis. Institutional racism and personal bias have both been proven to have distinctly adverse impacts on health outcomes, and they disproportionately impact people of color and especially Black people. The general neglect of Black people due to the racism within our healthcare system and our country is the primary reason why COVID-19 is ravaging Black communities. Anti-Blackness isn't acceptable within or outside of the healthcare sphere. Police brutality is a public health crisis. Police violence is currently responsible for the deaths of more young Black men than any other cause. Experiences with police brutality have detrimental impacts on development and mental health, and once again, these issues disproportionately impact Black people. These are not new problems; the systemic inequities in our country have been wreaking havoc on Black communities and causing untold amounts of pain for centuries. And too often, they are ignored or invalidated. Too often, talking about racism is seen as uncomfortable and frightening and unprofessional, so people choose not to discuss it. But turning away from injustice is not only an act of extreme privilege; it is an act of complicity. To stay silent in the face of these murders and acts of violence against protestors would be to implicitly approve of them. We refuse to do that. We explicitly denounce these acts of racist violence. We refused to stay silent in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging this nation and disproportionately impacting marginalized communities, and we refuse to stay silent in the form of this pandemic of racism and police brutality.



We encourage people to speak out and stand up against these acts of racist violence, and we encourage our supporters and community to do so as well. To non-Black people: do not turn away from this horror. Use your voice and your privilege to speak up and take action. Refuse to be complicit when violent and bigoted systems ask you to participate. Question your implicit biases. Center Black people in your activist efforts. Challenge yourself and your loved ones. This is not a time for complacence or passivity. It has never been acceptable to sit quietly and allow injustice to continue, and it is not acceptable now. If you have never engaged in these conversations before, please start now. We have included some resources to start you off:

As an organization and as individuals, we are committed to elevating and amplifying the voices of Black organizers and organizations who are on the frontlines of this movement. As such, we are including a non-exhaustive list of funds and organizations to contribute to (@allthingseka):

George Floyd Memorial Fund - Official GoFundMe to support the Floyd family.

Minnesota Freedom Fund - Community-based nonprofit that pays criminal bail and immigration bonds for individuals who have been arrested while protesting police brutality.

Black Visions Collective - A Black, trans, and queer-led organization committed to dismantling systems of oppression and violence, and shifting the public narrative to create transformative, long-term change.

Reclaim the Block - Advocacy coalition that invests in community-led safety initiatives in Minneapolis neighborhoods.

Unicorn Riot - A non-profit organization dedicated to exposing the root causes of dynamic social and environmental issues.

Campaign Zero - Online platform and organization that uses research-based policy solutions to end police brutality in America.

We stand with Black communities in demanding change, and we will continue addressing health inequities and public health crises together. As individuals and as members of MedSupplyDrive, we are committed to justice and equity and will continue to speak up and take action.



In Solidarity,

MedSupplyDrive Founding & Current Executive Board

Teju Peesay, Co-Founder Joya Ahmad, National Logistics Director

Adaah Sayyed, Co-Founder Michael Sun, National Logistics Director

Zuby Syed, Co-Founder Harshita Beeravolu, National Logistics Director

Allison Rooney, Co-Founder Molly McGinnis, Volunteer Engagement Director

Melissa Baker, Co-Founder Deepa Shankar, Communications Director