Founder's Statement
Founder’s Statement
LaShauna Matthews was my daughter.
She was brilliant. Compassionate. Determined. She had dreams, purpose, and a future filled with promise. She should still be here.
Instead, our family experienced the unthinkable. We experienced what too many Black and marginalized families experience in silence — dismissal, delay, and a healthcare system that did not respond with urgency, respect, or equity. As a mother and a nurse, I understood what was happening in ways that made it even more painful. I could see the breakdowns. I could see the bias. And I could see the consequences.
LaShauna’s death was not inevitable. It was preventable.
The LaShauna Matthews Center was born from grief — but it is built on purpose.
We exist to stop Black and marginalized communities from dying due to racism and discrimination in healthcare. We exist to ensure patients are heard, protected, and treated with dignity. We exist to change systems — not just stories.
Our work is guided by the A.W.E. Approach:
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Advocacy — We empower patients and families with the knowledge, language, and support they need to navigate healthcare systems confidently and safely. We stand beside them when their voices are ignored.
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Wholeness — We recognize that health is more than a diagnosis. It is physical, emotional, cultural, and spiritual. We center the full humanity of every person we serve and address the trauma that inequitable care leaves behind.
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Elevation — We work to raise standards, expectations, and accountability within healthcare institutions. Through education, policy reform, and legislative advocacy, we push systems to operate at a higher level — where equity is not optional, but foundational.
This Center carries my daughter’s name because her life mattered. Her story matters. And her legacy will save lives.
We are not driven by anger. We are driven by love — love for LaShauna, love for our community, and love for the families who deserve better.
This is more than an organization. It is a movement for justice in healthcare.
And we will not stop until equity is the standard, not the exception.
— Sherae Long Founder, LaShauna Matthews Center