Please read the following messages from Emiko, the Board, and learn how you can move wealth, use influence, move power and organize.
Dear Partners,
We have all been following the sad and tragic news from Atlanta and the larger pattern of Anti-Asian hate. The Board and I share our thoughts further below, but most importantly, we are asking that our Partners take action to stand with AAPI communities and fight white supremacist and misogynistic violence.
Call To Action
In our work at SVP, we increasingly see philanthropy as ways we put our gifts in motion – to move wealth, to move influence, and to move power and to organize. So to that end, we are calling on all Partners to join us in taking action this week to support AAPI communities and to fight against the Anti-Asian racism that seeks to harm them and divide all of us.
Move Wealth – There are a variety of organizations working both in Georgia and at nationally to support AAPI communities and work against systemic violence affecting them. Below are three local organizations whose voice and messages we want to amplify.
Asian Counseling and Referral Services works for social justice and offers a broad array of behavioral health programs, human services and civic engagement activities for Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and other communities in King County and beyond. Read their Statement, then Donate
API Chaya seeks to end systemic violence in our communities. It empowers survivors of gender-based violence and human trafficking to gain safety, connection, and wellness. Read their Statement, then Donate.
InterIm CDA advances social justice and equity for low income Asian and Pacific Islanders through its work on affordable housing and community development. Read their Statement, then Donate.
Every member of the Board has committed to supporting these organizations, and we hope that 100% of our Partnership will also contribute. Please support them by making a contribution through the links provided.
Use Our Influence – As SVP and as Partner families and individuals, we must use our influence – with our friends and extended families, with our work colleagues, and with our broader social networks, to condemn this violence, interrupt the casual stereotypes and everyday racism that feed it, and amplify the voices of those it is harming.
Here are some articles we can read and share:
- The Long History of Racism Against Asian Americans in the US (LINK)
- Asian American Women Are Resilient — and We Are Not OK (LINK)
- Working for equity and social justice? Know what your Asian colleague is experiencing – FAKEQUITY (LINK)
Organize and Move Power – We will gather as a Partnership this Thursday at 12 noon to discuss how these events have affected us and how we are responding. This is a place for Partners to come together, support one another, share information, and galvanize action.
- RSVP Eventbrite: SVP Partner Briefing, Thursday, March 25 at 12:00pm
- Event Zoom Link: zoom.us/j/98892329717
This Friday, March 26th is the National Day of Action and Healing. For individuals who are ready to use their power in everyday situations, please use the #StopAsianHate Day of Action Toolkit or the Hollaback resources and trainings for bystander de-escalation and intervention. You can sign up for an online training or receive a guide on how to do this. Please join the ongoing anti-racism discussion on SVP’s LinkedIn Group to follow our progress and to help to keep us accountable.
Dear Partners,
I woke up last Wednesday morning to over 20 text messages. The words Atlanta, attacks, Asian Americans flooded my screen. They were from my mom. My sister. My aunt. All Japanese American women. The emotions they felt were grief. Anger. Fear.
As an Asian American woman, the violent attacks in Atlanta are personal. I feel the grief, the anger, and the fear. But I also am called to stand in solidarity and action with my AAPI community.
As the Executive Director of SVP Seattle, the hate-crimes are also personal. I am leading SVP Seattle to deepen its anti-racist practices and respond to the calls from our community when they are needed. But even though I have always lived the reality of anti-Asian bias, I didn’t think one of my first acts as an executive director would be to lead and stand in solidarity with my own Asian community. Unfortunately, as long as our systems allow for white supremacy, there will be times when many of us are victims, survivors, allies, defenders, and leaders by turns or at the same time. At SVP Seattle, we are committed to responding to the calls of communities to support, defend, and elevate.
I have asked the Board of Directors and staff to join me in standing in reflection, action, and accountability with the AAPI. Below, please find a note from our Board of Directors on their response to the anti-Asian hate crimes.
Sincerely,
Emiko Atherton, Executive Director
It’s with grief and anger that we face another tragedy of white supremacist violence, this time in Atlanta, a horrifying milestone in a steadily mounting wave of anti-Asian sentiment and actions. These events shock and surprise us, but they are disheartening precisely because they are yet another instance of racism and misogyny, violence and death – another chapter in a story that feels never-ending.
Like many SVP Partners, we have been checking in with our AAPI friends, partners, loved ones, and colleagues. And we have been grieving and reflecting ourselves. One thing is clear – when systems seek to divide us, it is critical that we come together. And when events seek to paralyze us, it is critical that we act. We are in a long fight, and SVP will respond in a way that centers the experience of the people most impacted, prioritizes action, and better organizes us and builds capacity for the work ahead.
Especially in troubled times, we are fortunate to have Emiko’s leadership, the contributions of the SVP staff, and the support and energy of our Partnership. With commitment and resolve, we will be able to come together, deepen our anti-racist practice, and advance our mission of creating a region where everyone can thrive regardless of race or income.
Sincerely,
Bob Woods, Chair
Ruby Love, Vice Chair
Christine Chang, Secretary
Jonathan Kauffman, Treasurer
Brad Brickman, Board Member
Alexa Carver, Board Member
Jane Harvey, Board Member
Debbie Newell-Pirie, Board Member
David Thompson, Board Member
Robert White, Board Member