Black Lives Matter: Statement of Solidarity

p:ear stands in solidarity with the Black community and all communities of color. We see your pain, your beauty, your grace and mighty courage; we hear your weariness and anger; and we feel your demands for justice. We commit to working harder in the struggle to eliminate the violence of systemic and racial oppression.

Each day, we witness the harm + injustices of racism and unequal power in the lives and hearts of the youth at p:ear. And every day, we see and honor their humanity and their incredible fortitude and bravery despite the tangle of the structural constraints and oppressive narratives about who they are, and who they can be. We will amplify the voices of our youth and fight for justice with and for our community members experiencing poverty and homelessness. We are committed to using our time and resources — including our social capital — to combat these systems of oppression + create more opportunity so we can all thrive.

Our future depends on our collective resistance against America’s history of continued white supremacy. This has been a normal practice in US history, which has been, and continues to be devastating, destructive, and radically harmful for the BIPOC communities in America. Not resisting this denies our responsibility, our complicity, and our capacity to create real change.

We stand in solidarity with those demanding change, an end to the racist + oppressive policies and practices created to purposely harm Black communities and communities of color. We will listen and follow and act with love and hope.

We ask p:ear youth + the p:ear community to hold us accountable.

Image repost from @codifyart, art by @jkey13