We are so grateful to everyone that was planning to attend our Virtual Scholarship Celebration this Thursday. I’m writing today to share that we have decided to postpone this virtual event. I also wanted to share why we decided to postpone this event.
As uprisings against the brutal violence of the police against Black people are happening in cities and towns across the country, this is not the right moment for Pride Foundation to host a celebration. This is not time for business as usual and, while a lot of energy and work has gone into this event, what is of the utmost importance right now is prioritizing acting in solidarity with and supporting Black communities.
We want to make sure the incredible energy and responsiveness that is welling up in communities and cities in our region and across that nation is sustained, supported, and at the center of our attention right now. We want to focus our efforts on supporting the Black movement leaders, groups, and organizations who are pushing back against oppressive, violent, and racist systems. Below you will find a list of resources and ways to engage so that, while we will not be virtually gathering on Thursday, we can each find ways to support the growing movements in this moment.
Our communities across the region, especially Black folks in our communities, are in a place of grief and mourning right now and celebrating is not the space many of us or community members are in, as I’m sure you can relate. We are angry, fed up, and ready for a change to the racist institutions and individuals who continue to harm Black people and communities. While celebration and joy is important to sustaining and advancing all our movements for justice, especially for Black folks, Pride Foundation is not the right organization to be holding that space right now.
Pride Foundation is committed to centering racial justice in all that we do, and one way we live this value is to make sure all of our work and actions are in solidarity with communities of color, especially Black and Indigenous people, as we affirmed in the statement we shared on Sunday. Especially at moments like this, when a window has been opened for long overdue change, we do not want to detract from the momentum that is building. Instead, we must work to help grow and sustain that momentum.
We will be sharing in the coming weeks more information about the postponed Celebration, other ways to engage with our work, honor the incredible 2020 scholarship recipients, and support the Crisis Community Care Efforts which will also be supporting the growing movements right now.
I hope you’ll join me in seeing this as an opportunity to deepen our commitment and to fundamentally live our values of justice for everyone in our communities.
With pride and solidarity,
Katie Carter
(she/her)
CEO
Ways to Take Action and Resources to Care for our Communities:
- Resources:
- Movement for Black Lives: In Defense of Black Life
- Black Lives Matter: Ways You Can Help
- Community Healing: BEAM (Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective)
- National Queer & Trans Therapists of Color Network
- Prentis Hemphill: Healing Justice + Somatics Practitioner
- Organizations & Funds to Support:
- Protesting from Home:
- For White Folks and Non-Black POC Folks Supporting in Solidarity:
- Bail Funds:
- Movement for Black Lives: List of Verified Bail Funds
- National Bail Out
- NW Community Bail Fund (King + Snohomish Counties)
- The Bail Project (Spokane)
- PDX Protest Bail Fund (Portland)
- Act Blue: Split a Donation Between 40 Community Bail Funds