January 31, 2018

Statement by YWCA USA CEO, Alejandra Y. Castillo

“In last night’s State of the Union address, President Trump doubled down on his standard dog-whistle of divisive rhetoric and scapegoating our most underserved communities. Last night’s litany of policies focused on building a border wall, separating immigrant families and ramping up penalties for drug offenders. He also touted alleged successes by his administration for working families and communities of color. While speaking in platitudes is easy, staying safe and healthy while trying to make ends meet is a real challenge for the women and families we help every day at YWCA. The fact remains that the President’s vision for a “New American Moment” is in direct conflict with YWCA’s vision of a world free from racism and sexism, where every woman and girl can realize her full potential.

“In the same breath that he spoke about his regard for our children and forgotten communities, President Trump made clear that his primary strategy is leveraging White America’s most troubling and racialized fears to achieve political and economic goals that benefit his wealthy friends. We urge our fellow Americans not to be fooled by niceties and manipulated figures. The low African American and Hispanic unemployment rates cited as a Trump success actually began long before his 2016 election. He celebrated minor wins for the average family from a tax bill passed last month that primarily benefits wealthier people and corporations without addressing the real economic challenges struggling families face as they work to put food on the table, pay the bills, and care for sick family members.

“In YWCAs across the country, 2.3 million women, girls and their families are getting the support they truly need to survive in spite of the policies, histories and injustices that work against them. We are proud to continue standing up for ourselves and our communities – and we won’t stop now.”

About YWCA USA

YWCA USA is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, stand up for social justice, help families, and strengthen communities. We are one of the oldest and largest women’s organizations in the nation, serving over 2 million women, girls, and their families.

YWCA has been at the forefront of the most pressing social movements for more than 150 years — from voting rights to civil rights, from affordable housing to pay equity, from violence prevention to health care reform. Today, we combine programming and advocacy in order to generate institutional change in three key areas: racial justice and civil rights, empowerment and economic advancement of women and girls, and health and safety of women and girls. Learn more: www.ywca.org.

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For Immediate Release
Contact: Danielle Marse-Kapr
845.629.8656 | dmarsekapr@ywca.org