Nonprofits, by and large, are advocates for the betterment of our world. TSNE and the organizations and projects we support work tirelessly to build a more democratic society for all.
Over the past few months, we have seen the senseless deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor occur by the hands of the police or excused by an inequitable justice system. We have seen Black and Brown communities disproportionately devastated by the coronavirus. We have seen increasing economic disparities in our communities of color as unemployment rates reach unprecedented numbers.
Police brutality and the unequal application of the weight of the law are deeply destructive symptoms of the systematic oppression of people of color and of the continuing violence, economic discrimination, and structural and systemic racism that are embedded in American society. These are expressions of the dehumanization that far too many people of color experience every day, especially if you are Black.
Though large portions of society vehemently oppose inequity and actively work to deconstruct it, the anger, poverty, and disparities caused through generations of oppression and racism is here with us and it spills into and impacts who we are, how we react to each other and the world, and how we move forward.
What happens in the world outside matters to us as individuals and to TSNE. We do the work because we believe in a more just and democratic society, where individuals can hold responsible and accountable the systems that affect our lives. This past week in our country, and on Sunday night in Boston, centuries of racism and white supremacy fueled protests and anger.
TSNE calls on nonprofits across Boston and the Commonwealth to support their staff, particularly those of color, at this time.
What we can do:
- Provide opportunities for your staff to talk or to listen, support each other, and reflect.
- Urge supervisors and managers to lead with grace as your staff navigates the world outside their doors and its impact on them, their families, and their colleagues.
- And for all leaders but particularly white leaders, question your biases, commit to your own ongoing learning, reach out to organizations run by Black leaders and other people of color and offer concrete support.
- Join nationwide movements to end police violence. Support CampaignZero, which offers a comprehensive package of urgent policy solutions — informed by data, research and human rights principles — that can change the way police serve our communities.
Most importantly, this is not a time to sit on the sidelines. We are in this together. We must support one another. And we must support the dismantling of racist systems of oppression.