Through centuries of black resistance and protest, we have helped the country live up to its founding ideals. And not only for ourselves — black rights struggles paved the way for every other rights struggle, including women’s and gay rights, immigrant and disability rights.”
Nikole Hannah-Jones essay from ‘The 1619 Project’
We at RVC firmly stand in solidarity with our Black communities. We grieve with you, we stand with you, and we believe in you. We stand with you today to say ENOUGH! We cannot change the past, but the future must be free from white supremacy, police brutality, systemic racism, and anti-Blackness.
In the face of centuries of injustice and oppression, African American resistance and resilience won tremendous progress for Black people and for the world; this history must be remembered, celebrated, and used as a powerful reminder that this too must and shall be overcome.
To develop strategies for lasting change, we must follow and support grassroots organizing, leadership, and power-building led by Black communities.
A call to action: support our Black-led partner organizations
The continued atrocities perpetrated upon Black people at the hands of the police are yet another reminder that we all must do more in confronting systemic racism. We call upon you, our non-Black POC communities and white allies, to speak up, to stand up, and to root out anti-Black racism wherever, whenever, and however we encounter it.
RVC is actively exploring all the ways that we, as an organization, can support the movement. We will continue to prioritize the needs and supportive actions determined by our Black-led partner organizations and leaders, and we will counter anti-Blackness within ourselves and our communities.
Here is one thing you can do today: fund work that centers the leadership of Black communities. Support our Black-led Operations Support and Fellowship Partner Organizations listed below.
Washington Building Leaders of Change (WA-BLOC) Rainier Beach Action Coalition (RBAC). Nurturing Roots Surge Reproductive Justice Creative Justice Partners for Education Reform & Student Success (PERSS) Greenlight Project Congolese Integration Network (CIN) Somali Parents Education Board (SPEB) Seattle Music Partners Somali Family Safety Task Force (SFSTF) Multicultural Community Center Coalition East African Community Services First Five Years and Beyond
To our Black communities, we love you. We affirm Black lives matter in the many languages represented within our team:
Dadka madow noloshoodu waa muhiim (Somali)
Las vidas negrxs importan (Spanish + gender inclusive)
흑인 생명도 소중하다 (Korean)
Maisha ya weusi ni muhimu (Kiswahili)
Mahalaga ang mga itim na buhay (Tagalog)
Nimli yumu wala hė hia (Ada/Ga-Adangbe)
黑人命也是命 (Chinese Simplified)
حياة السود مهمة (Arabic)
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