WE WILL VOICE THEIR NAMES

George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. We cannot forget their names, as well as the countless other Black lives that were lost and will be lost as a result of the systemic oppression of Black people.

As an anti-violence organization, we believe Black lives matter, all Black lives. To say that Black lives matter does not mean other lives do not, but acknowledges our country’s tragic history that includes the trafficking and the enslavement of Black people. It also acknowledges that White lives benefited from this cruelty and the systems that it created. The modernization of these systems disproportionately impacts the lives of people of color, especially Black individuals in this country, who experience higher rates of sexual violence, excessive use of force by police, increased barriers to a sound education and higher education; voter suppression, lack of affordable housing and living-wage jobs; the list goes on and on.

We condemn the brutality Black communities face on a day-to-day basis. We advocate for the building of systems and responses with the notion that Black lives matter because we believe  just that, Black lives matter. We believe that everyone has an inherent right to thrive in safe communities. An act of violence against one is an act of violence against all.

Our VOICE is committed to challenging the inequities that inherently exist in our local, state, and national systems as well as in our own organization. We commit to building equitable communities where everyone has an opportunity to thrive regardless of their race. We stand by the Black voices that are leading the charge on changing today’s realities. Our work as advocates has taught us to meet people where they are at and honor their autonomy, especially when power has been taken away from them. Thus, we are committed to continue to develop our awareness of how inequity impacts members of our community and take their lead as we seek action to create a better, safer tomorrow.

We challenge Our VOICE supporters and community partners to take ownership of this struggle and be part of the solution. Racism did not start in a vacuum and will not be eliminated by the efforts of a few. Seek knowledge about institutional racism and oppression in our country and take steps to make meaningful and lasting change. Educate yourself about what it means to be an ally to Black communities. Donate to organizations doing anti-racism work. There are many organizations in our community doing impactful work around racism and equity such as the YWCA, Asheville Black Lives Matter Community, Center for Participatory Change, Tzedek Social Justice Fellowship, BeLoved, Asheville Racial Equity Institute, and Asheville Showing Up for Racial Justice to name a few.

Our hearts and our solidarity go out to all of the grieving families, as well as all those working to eliminate systemic racism. We commit to you that we will say their names and continue the work in creating a community free of violence.