A message from ORAM’s Executive Director Steve Roth:
These have been incredibly difficult and challenging times in the United States. ORAM mourns the killing of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, the many race-driven attacks and violence across the country, and the deep, institutionalized racism that has plagued the U.S. for centuries.
In the midst of the events that have recently taken place throughout the U.S., we have been reminded of the origins of the gay liberation movement and the Stonewall Wall riots in 1969 which were led in part by LGBTIQ individuals of color, who fearlessly fought for equality and acceptance and a refusal to be intimidated by police brutality. Without those fearless people, our community would not be where it is today. That spirit of pride continues to live in our communities. We stand in support of #BlackLivesMatter.
As an organization that protects and empowers some of the most marginalized members of society, we stand in solidarity with the African American community and communities of color everywhere and join the fight for justice and equality for all. We all have a responsibility to ensure that everyone among us lives freely and equally, regardless of race, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other factor that makes us who we are. In the immortal words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” We are all in this together. Yesterday, ORAM joined over 300+ LGBTIQ and civil rights organizations in condemning systematic violence, racism and police brutality faced by the Black community. We stand with LGBTIQ and civil rights groups to say, “We understand what it means to rise up and push back against a culture that tells us we are less than, that our lives don’t matter.” To read the letter and see who signed it, click here. In order to put an end to structural racism and police brutality we all need to take action! It’s time to create a conversation and be an ally for the community! Below are a few resources we have compiled of how to get involved:
• Read and engage with anti-racism literature and articles. The Movement for Black Lives, How to Be an Anti-Racist and this list of resources that has been compiled by FightForBreonna.org are good places to start. • Support local Minneapolis organizations advancing racial and social justice, including Women for Political Change, Minnesota Freedom Fund and Reclaim the Block. • Donate to Black-led organizations including Black Visions Collective and National Black Justice Coalition. Pride is a celebration but it’s also a protest… a demand for change. Working together we can all bring about the change we want to see in the world. In Solidarity, Steve Roth Executive Director
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