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Dear Community,
We are thinking of each of you during these difficult times. We are feeling the weight of all that is happening in our families, communities, and around the country. You may feel angry, sad, scared, and outraged by the compounded situations we are facing. This is a time for us to stand together and support each other in any way possible.
We are outraged by the ongoing systemic racism that led to the killings of so many of our Black siblings. We are outraged by the endless reports of police brutality against Black people around the country. We proudly rise in solidarity with the ideals and demands of the Black Lives Matter movement and protesters taking to the streets to fight for justice. Enough is enough!
In the past few weeks, we learned of the vicious killing of George Floyd while in police custody in Minnesota. We learned of health care worker Breonna Taylor being shot by police in her own home in Kentucky. We learned of Ahmaud Arbery killed by two neighbors while going for a jog in his own neighborhood in Georgia. Twenty two year old James Scurlock was shot by a local business owner while protesting in Omaha. And we learned of Tony McDade, a Black trans man, who was killed by police in Florida. Yesterday, we learned of another brutal hate crime perpetrated against a trans woman Iyanna Dior in Minnesota. These incidents against our Black siblings are too frequent and too widespread to be considered anything but systemic racism.
As a community that is rooted in unconditional love, we cannot stand by while our siblings continue to suffer. As people that fight for our own rights, we know that we are also beneficiaries of the progress made by the civil rights movement. We understand that racism, xenophobia, transphobia, and homophobia all stem from colonialism and white supremacy. And we will not stay silent.
If you are asking yourself, what can you do? Here are some suggestions:
- Protest. If you are able, show your solidarity by showing up. Remember to use precautions, like wearing a mask and standing 6 feet apart, to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 transmission.
- Educate yourself and your family. Learn more about the history of institutional racism and how you can combat it. Talk to your own family about racism, police brutality, and emphasize that Black Lives Matter to you.
- Demand Justice. Write to elected officials and share your outrage.
- Open your wallet. Donate to a victim’s fund or support efforts to bail out protesters. Support Black-owned businesses and artists in your community.
Somos Familia’s mission is to build leadership in our Latinx families and communities to create a culture where people of diverse genders and sexual orientations can thrive. That means all of us. We are a diverse community inclusive of our Afrolatinx and Black siblings.
June is Pride month. This annual celebration began as a fight for LGBTQI+ rights and was led by black and Latinx trans women. We invite you to join us in taking action in solidarity with the movement for Black Lives and speaking up for justice.