Dearest Daily Actors,
We express our outrage and grief for the killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin and so many Black lives lost because of racial violence. We name that racism is deeply rooted and systemic in our community and country, and we call for an end to racial terror.
We stand in solidarity and allyship with Black Lives Matter.
We acknowledge that our country is in a state of turmoil right now, yet we hold hope and feel inspired by the many voices rising in solidarity for social justice and sustainable transformation towards a more just and equitable society.
As an environmental organization, we know how critical it is to dismantle systemic barriers preventing people of color from leading climate and environmental health efforts. We must ask tough questions, like why is it that decision makers in these conversations are majority white? How do we address these disparities through our work?
Our team is reckoning with environmentalism’s racist history. We are working to educate ourselves and expand our knowledge of our Country’s history with race. We are engaging in dismantling racism within ourselves, our families, and the structures we work in. This is work that can bring up deep, under-acknowledged grief and complex feelings, but it is necessary to begin the process of healing racial divides.
Change starts from within but must result in tangible changes to the systems around us. Through the work of healing and action, “Be the Change” becomes “systems change”. Each of our daily interactions and relationships is a powerful opportunity to change how we relate to racism. When we are willing to step into the discomfort and examine how we show up and the role we play within the larger systems, we are taking the first step towards drawing a line in the sand to say “Enough”.
We stand with Black Lives Matter to personally and collectively move our Country towards justice and equity.
In Solidarity,
The Daily Acts Team