Dear Community Members and Partners,
The Soar team is devastated by the events of the past few weeks. We honor the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Charleena Lyles, Manuel Ellis, and countless others. We share the anguish of their families and the Black community. Each instance of police brutality brings pain and a greater sense of urgency for us to bring justice to the Black community and the families of those who have lost loved ones.
As the great Martin Luther King Jr. said, “a riot is the language of the unheard.” We support and commend the bravery and courage that we have seen from young Black people who are on the frontlines of these protests. We also acknowledge the work of allies who understand the importance of supporting Black communities during protests and behind the scenes.
We condemn the violent response of police in our community and across the nation. We need greater police accountability and leadership that understands the purpose behind these protests. We call upon our local leaders to listen to the protests, and to take immediate action to change the policies and procedures that continue to cause great harm to Black people.
The ugly truth of our country is that racism lies at its foundation. We believe that all parts of all systems must become intentionally and actively Anti-Racist, because they were built to bestow and sustain white power. Black communities are hurting from systemic racism and violence that has been perpetrated for generations. We need to support their calls to action and invest in real systemic change.
For us, Soar stands in support of continued protest. As the mighty Fannie Lou Hamer once said, “Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.”
We pledge to continuing to support and engage in organizing and mobilization to fight for justice.
We pledge to advocate for policies, funding and programs that explicitly and intentionally address anti-Blackness.
We pledge to lend our voices, expertise, resources, and connections to undoing the structures and institutions of racism that hold the Black community down.
We pledge to continue to create pathways for community voices, especially Black voices, to be heard by legislators and decision makers.
The time for change is now. Here are some ways you can take action to support organizing against police brutality and racial injustice.
Donate to the following funds:
- BLM– Seattle King County Bailout Fund
- Northwest Community Bail Fund
- Minnesota Freedom Fund
- Lavender Rights Project
- Stand with Bre
- Memorial Fund for Tony McDade
Additonal Resources