Letter to the editor: PSU School of Social Work – Vanguard – Psuvanguard.com

June 4, 2020

Dear Students and Faculty

As agents of change, researchers, educators, social workers, and people working with children, youth, and families, we stand in solidarity and uplift the calls to action shared by Black Lives Matter and other movements for racial justice, radical healing, and structural change. The systemic violence, police brutality, and, specifically, the murders of Black men, women, trans, and non-binary community members has been happening continuously and across generations through multiple forms of oppression. The violence that we have collectively witnessed over the last several weeks has pushed many of us to our breaking points. In this moment, many of us are questioning how and why and what we can do to disrupt and resist these systems of terror and harm. We believe that all of us have a role to play in dismantling the systems of racialized violence and intersectional oppression whether through redistributing funds, protesting, mutual aid, spiritual work, engaging hard conversations with loved ones, and holding space for self-care, healing, rage, and grief.

We must acknowledge the on-going impacts of anti-Blackness, not only on Black communities, but on all racialized communities, and we must directly say: BLACK LIVES MATTER in Portland, in our SSW community. We must also act.

We call on our community to deepen our commitments and action in the following areas:

Over the past week, we have heard many requests from faculty, staff, and students for ways to be in community with one another. We hope to join you in creating spaces for healing, sharing strategies, and taking collective action in the days, weeks, and years ahead. In the meantime, we call on each of us to consider how we deepen our efforts to support Black healing and liberation, interrupt anti-Blackness, and advance transformative action in our own lives and work.

There are many, many resources available to you online, through the SSW, and in your community, including: places to donate to, calls to action, and educational resources for white folks, non-Black POC, and Black folks. Seek them out!

Even though we are in a particular historical moment, remember that the current violence is steeped in anti-Blackness, and has deep historical and systematic roots. Our work is ongoing and we must continue to center anti-Blackness and social justice efforts for the duration.

Here are a few resources to help get you started.

Support Black healing & liberation

Interrupt anti-Blackness

Take Action

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Letter to the editor: PSU School of Social Work - Vanguard - Psuvanguard.com