for immediate release:
Supermajority’s Response To The Murder of Black People
Plan to Engage Women Launches Today in Several States Where Women are Suffering
It is with a heavy heart that we’re reaching out to you today. We are all reeling from the news of the past few weeks — the murder of Black people in this country, the physical and rhetorical violence toward protesters, the brazen inaction from local officials, and the statement issued by the President of the United States which can only be described as a call to action for white supremacists.
Supermajority was founded on the premise that the fight for gender equality can only be successful if we work together across race, age, geography, and difference. Today presents us with an important test for that vision. This violence is not new. We are so heartbroken that this continues to happen; and yet we must continue to emphatically condemn the deadly role that racism plays in every single part of our society – from healthcare, to education, to housing, and most clearly in policing.
Our Majority Rules say that our lives must be safe. For Black people in America, this has never been true. It wasn’t true for Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and George Floyd. We must recommit to the necessary work of undoing and unlearning the centuries of oppression that led to their murders — changing the rules that devalue Black lives, and holding the people we elect to enforce those rules accountable.
To our Black members:
We hope you can find space for yourselves today. It’s exhausting to try and show up for the day when racist institutions continue to fail us. You are scared for your families, and we are too. You are enraged by the state of our country, and we are too. You deserve to have your humanity recognized and protected, and we agree. We know we cannot do this work alone but we also have to fortify ourselves for a fight that is long. Take care of yourselves, first and foremost. We are sending love. We are crying with you. And we are standing with you.
To our non-Black members of color:
We know this pain is all too familiar for you, too. Racism, bigotry, and xenophobia have destroyed our communities. We also hope you can find space to heal today. Anti-Blackness has worked hard to divide us. Right now we have a choice to resist that. We are standing with you to do this work.
To our white members:
We’re calling you in. Show up for Black communities in real ways. We need white people to stand up in this moment, and every time we are used as a tool for someone else’s agenda. Racism and sexism are inextricably linked. We can not achieve gender equality without dismantling white supremacy; patriarchy and white supremacy go hand in hand. It’s on white women to stop people like Amy Cooper from weaponizing their whiteness against Black communities. White women must try and help other white women understand and take action. We must not be complicit in the violence that cuts short Black lives.
This work is critical and constant. We’ve compiled a list of things that we can do today to support the activism on the ground, as well as resources that can help us individually acknowledge our own preconceived notions, biases, and lived experiences to bring about the systemic change required to end the violence.
With Love,
Alicia, Ai-jen, Cecile, and the Supermajority staff
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The Supermajority staff collaborated to create the below list of resources for anyone interested in supporting the movement, expanding their knowledge of racial equity, and/or finding help themselves. We’ve marked resources that particularly address the intersection of racism and sexism with an asterisk.
Support
- Movement for Black Lives: a space for Black organizations across the country, founded under the fundamental idea that we can achieve more together than we can separately.
- Black Visions Collective: a Minnesota-based organization dedicated to dismantling systems of oppression and violence by fostering black leadership.
- The Bail Project: works with public defenders and community organizations to provide assistance paying bail, court date reminders, transportation, and other support to low-income individuals.
- The Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective: a nonprofit “collective of advocates, yoga teachers, artists, therapists, lawyers, religious leaders, teachers, psychologists, and activists.”
- Know Your Rights Camp: A campaign and series of camps held in various U.S. cities to empower black youth and instruct them on how to interact with law enforcement, founded by professional football player Colin Kaepernick.
- National Black Arts’ Forward Artist Project Relief Fund: A fund to support black artists in need, enabling them to continue creating and featuring their art during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Bail Out Funds
Read
Media
- Alicia Garza’s reading list
- The 1619 project, edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones of the New York Times
- “The Case for Reparations” by Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Atlantic, June 2014
- White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack Article by Peggy McIntosh
- Amy Cooper’s Anti-Black Wisdom Article by Andre Henry
- The US Medical System Is Still Haunted By Slavery Article by RanJani Chakraborty, Vox
- What White Children Need to Know About Race Article by Ali Michael and Eleonora Bartoli, National Association of Independent Schools
- Why Are We Still Talking About Racism? Video by AJ+, Facebook
- 5 Things You Should Know About Racism Video by Decoded MTV NEWS, YouTube
- The Unchecked Racism of the Left And The Platinum Rule Article by Jesse Benn, Huffington Post
- The Subtle Linguistics of Polite White Supremacy Article by Yawo Brown, Medium
- Why Don’t Millennials Understand Racism Article by Jamelle Bouie, Slate
- America’s Problem Isn’t Tribalism—It’s Racism Article by Adam Serwer, The Atlantic
- Noticing Racism Video by Mirrors of Privilege, YouTube
- Introduction to Critical Race Theory 2017, Website by Adrienne Keene
- What White Folks And Non-Black POC Need To Know About Systemic Racism Article by Porscha Coleman, For Harriet
- Why Acknowledging Racism Isn’t Anti-Racist Article by Michelle Dominique Burk, Everyday Feminism
- What’s the Difference between Prejudice and Racism Article by Nicki Lisa Cole, About Education
- Here Are The Real Reasons Why We White People Struggle To Admit That Racism Still Exists Article by Jamie Utt, Everyday Feminism
- Racism: A Sociological Definition Article by Nicki Lisa Cole, About Education
Books
Follow
Listen
Watch
Learn
Get Help
- Good Call NYC: Free legal services for protestors in New York City
- Healhause: a Brooklyn-based space providing accessible and inclusive wellness
- Therapy resources for people of color and queer folx
- * Sista Afya: a Chicago-based, community-driven organization providing women from across the Black diaspora with low-cost group therapy sessions and free online conversations
- * Therapy for Black Girls: founded by Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, this organization combats the stigma around therapy and is now also a podcast and private Facebook support group
Vote
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Supermajority is a women’s equality organization made up of women of all backgrounds, races, and ages who are coming together to build a voting bloc committed to creating a future where we are all truly equal. Supermajority is dedicated to building women’s collective political power by providing the information, training, and resources needed to take meaningful action at the local, state, and national levels.