CCASA’s board and staff stand in solidarity with people of color and remain committed to being an anti-racist organization. We call out the recent killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the countless others; the violence that is occurring in detention centers every day against children and adults who came to the U.S. in seek of refuge; and the utter negligence of our government to provide critical resources to Tribes to combat and treat the COVID pandemic. This pandemic has brought to the forefront the injustices of a system created to keep some in power while others are oppressed. Unfortunately, we know that these types of experiences are not new for communities of color.
We cannot – and will not – remain silent about these atrocities.
We recognize that sexual assault and oppression are intricately linked and we are committed to grappling with the complexities of societal power and privilege in order to create inclusive policy and practices. We cannot end sexual violence without addressing other forms of violence and oppression that support systems that value some lives above others.
We would not be doing our job as an organization committed to meaningful social justice work if we didn’t critique and hold systems and individuals accountable. Doing so is essential to creating a better world for us all. We must also change our culture that seeks to find excuses for the perpetrators and blame the victims for the crimes that were committed against them.
The conversations we need to have, are compelled to have, in order to create change are never easy. But we must have them. We have a responsibility to listen to the communities most affected by oppression and violence and use the privilege and power that we hold to create change.
Below are some links to articles and resources, if you would like to learn more about the intersection of sexual violence and racism, and how, if you are a white person, you can be an aspiring ally in the work against racism.
Intersection of sexual violence and racism:
http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/appsych/opus/issues/2015/spring/robinson
http://www.incite-national.org/page/dangerous-intersections
http://endsexualviolence.org/where-we-stand/racism-and-rape
Aspiring White Allies:
https://simmons.libguides.com/anti-oppression/anti-racism
https://www.dismantlecollective.org/resources/
https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/
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Anti-Racism Resources | Compiled by Sarah Sophie Flicker, Alyssa Klein