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We are heartbroken. Mass shootings continue to traumatize our country, punctuated by targeted acts of race-based violence. While the grief from these recent events are particularly raw, they are part of a long history of tragic and senseless gun violence in the US. Several of these events; recently, the killing of 8 people near Atlanta, Georgia, 6 of whom were women of Asian descent; strike fear into the hearts of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and their allies, and compound centuries of anti-Asian racist violence in the US.
Last Friday’s team call was an open space for sharing reflections and support, in light of these events. Participants also shared resources, and ideas for unBox’s next ongoing and active steps towards deepening our solidarity and anti-racism. Charting forward from the conversation, and aiming to catalyze a series of ongoing resources, conversations, and actions, several unBox members have created an Anti-Racism and Community Support Resources document. The content aims to explore the unique challenges facing many particular marginalized communities, and also, highlight intersectionalities between modes of oppression impacting all oppressed people. Profoundly, March 21 was the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, putting this discussion in a globally urgent context, and underscoring the strength of justice, liberation, and freedom struggles worldwide.
The Anti-Racism and Community Support Resources document is a living one, editable by all. We invite all members of our unBox community - everyone here - to add. We also open the door widely, for any feedback on its fundamental structure, and guiding intent. Finally, we eagerly welcome those interested in participating more deeply in unBox’s next steps to plan and mobilize around our next and continued anti-racist and anti-discriminatory actions, to please reach out. In striving to plan our action collectively, but without requesting members’ further emotional labor during these difficult times, we eagerly open the door, to all interested.
unBox is currently on Spring Recess, and will not convene for a team call tomorrow. Our next team call will be April 2, 9-10 am PST/12-1 pm EST. As always, all are eagerly welcome to attend, and you may add the invitation to your calendar with this link.
In the meantime, we hope all are are drawing upon strength, support, and community during these times, and making time and space to reflect and heal.
In solidarity,
The unBox Team
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