We at Human Impact Partners stand in solidarity with the people of Charlottesville, VA. We condemn the actions of the White supremacists and neo-nazis who gathered and violently attacked peaceful protesters in the name of racism. White supremacy, terrorism, and racial violence contradict our collective vision of a safe and healthy society.
As individuals and as public health professionals, we must fight to dismantle White supremacy and racism.
We must use our voice to speak out against racist and violent rhetoric — and the structures that uphold racism and oppression. For those of us who are White or hold positions of privilege, we must use our privilege to support and act in solidarity with communities targeted by hate and discriminatory practices.
White supremacy, racism, anti-semitism and other forms of hate speech and violence are not new. Black, Brown, Jewish, Muslim, LGBTQ, immigrant and other structurally marginalized communities have experienced violence and hate for centuries. And for just as long, structurally oppressed and marginalized people have also led the fight for justice and equity.
We all respond differently to these types of events, and the dimensions of our identities give us varying experiences of power and oppression. Take care of yourself and take care of your communities.
Here are some suggestions if you feel you are in a position to take action:
- Sign Color of Change’s petition to remove all confederate symbols across the country.
- Attend a rally, protest or vigil in your area. Check here to see if there is an event near you.
- Donate to groups in Charlottesville that are organizing on the ground and supporting people who were injured this weekend.
In Solidarity,
The Human Impact Partners Team (Alia, Ana, Celia, Dawn, Holly, Jonathan, Kim, Lee, Lili, Logan, Nashira, Sara, and Sari)
This post was originally published on our Medium channel.
