The aspiration of an open city is what animates the work of Open House New York–a city where people and ideas thrive and where each of us has the freedom to pursue the life we choose to live, while collectively sharing the places and spaces that give those lives depth and meaning. An open city is one that also offers access–to health care, to education, to justice, and to the levers of power that shape our communities.

But the painful reality is that we do not live in an open city. The devastating impact of the pandemic on communities of color, and the violence and injustice perpetrated against Black Americans, directly follows from the pervasive racism and structural barriers that too many of our fellow New Yorkers experience on a daily basis. As a society, we must use this moment to begin the work of dismantling and remaking the systems that perpetuate this racism. As an organization, we start by acknowledging our privilege, pausing to listen and learn, and embracing the conversations ahead of us. The problems are real and grave, but our dream of a truly open city endures and continues to propel us forward.