How many more messages like this will I have to write?
As the impact of federal actions deepens, this remains a heavy and unsettling time, and it’s important to acknowledge that weight. In the face of extreme violence here in Colorado and across the country, people are navigating fear, uncertainty, and threats to their health, safety, and well-being. And while the nation’s attention has been focused on Minneapolis, we know that what has happened there could just as easily occur in Denver or in any other part of Colorado.
Moments like these are designed to shake public confidence in who we can trust, pressure organizations into second-guessing themselves, and quiet communities and leaders committed to justice and equity. We know that Coloradans will not be intimidated by these tactics, nor will we be divided or silenced.
The Colorado Health Foundation believes that every Coloradan should have what they need to live a healthy life—one rooted in safety, dignity, and full participation in community. Our mission calls us to remove the barriers that keep health and well-being out of reach for many, and that work does not pause in difficult times.
Our commitment to the people of Colorado and the community organizations that show up for them every day does not weaken under pressure. It sharpens. Grounded in our purpose of advancing health equity through racial justice, we stand with frontline leaders who are meeting this moment with courage. We will not step back from any of them. We will continue using our resources, voice, and influence in service of all Coloradans, especially those with less power and privilege who face the steepest barriers to health and well-being. While the deepest gaps fall along racial lines, and that is why we name race clearly in this work, we are equally committed to all historically under-served groups across our state. We know inequities show up in many ways, and we stand with anyone who is denied the conditions they need to thrive.
The targeting of immigrant communities, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those who stand with them, is dehumanizing. Full stop. History teaches us that when any group’s safety or dignity is treated as negotiable, the harm never stays contained. The same playbook is used again and again to justify harsher treatment of others, widening the circle of who is put at risk, until it reaches us all.
Even in the face of violence, communities across Colorado are organizing, protecting one another, and refusing to let fear define their future. Their resilience, leadership, and deep local knowledge guide our work, and we honor them by standing firmly at their side. To our community partners who are under threat, you are seen, you are heard, and you are not alone.
To our philanthropic partners, this is not the time to hesitate. Do not step back. Step in. Do not go silent. Use every resource, platform, and ounce of influence to fortify the community organizations serving the most vulnerable Coloradans. This moment demands nothing less of us.