Dear Friends,
At SAY, everyone has as much time as they need to speak. The work we do requires a deep and intentional commitment to listening, inclusivity, love, and safety. We cannot move forward with our work and continue to uphold those values without stating something outright: black lives matter.
We are grateful that so many different kinds of people from so many different walks of life have found community, family, and friendship together here at SAY. Over the last two decades at SAY it has been a gift and an honor to connect across a thousand differences and see each other’s humanity and shared struggles.
SAY would not be here without the incalculable contributions and support of our black community members. We cannot and will not stay silent as people of color, especially black people, are victimized by systemic racism and state-sanctioned violence and trauma. We cannot and will not stay silent while black children fear for their lives from violence woven into the very fabric of our country. We mourn with you, we march with you, we stand up with you.
As an organization, we have not worked hard enough to acknowledge and speak these truths out loud. We can and will do better. Black lives matter. Black voices matter. As long as there is injustice for some of us, none of us are truly free. Thank you for listening.
Be well, and stay safe.
With love and hope,