TO: YWCA Leaders
FROM: YWCA USA Communications
DATE: August 14, 2017
SUBJECT: Responding to Charlottesville
Dear YWCA Leaders,
In the wake of the highly visible and violent showing of white supremacy we saw in Charlottesville over the weekend, we are outraged yet unsurprised. Communities of color face the threat of violence and many other injustices on a daily basis. It's critical that we recognize this is not an isolated event, but, rather, is indicative of daily life for many in the United States. However, this does serve to make us even more resolute that justice and equity cannot wait.
Read the statement we released Saturday with YWCA Central Virginia and YWCA Richmond that reflects these sentiments.
We know that many of you share our deepest sympathies for those directly impacted and may be impacted yourselves. In addition, we have heard that some YWCAs have become targets for hate speech and racial slurs, please let us know if you experience this type of backlash. As such, we wanted to provide some specific tools and support for YWCAs as we have in the past. As we work together for justice, here are some steps you can take locally to continue making change:
Refer to the YWCA resources that are available to you:
- YWCA has an important lens through which we understand events like this. Our mission puts women and communities of color at the forefront by calling for the elimination of racism, women's empowerment, and the promotion of peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. To do this mission well, we must trust and follow the leadership of women of color. Furthermore, we recognize that all violence is not acknowledged or responded to equally – a concept introduced to the network in the Persimmon Paper: Our Collective Power. YWCA asks the question: which communities get justice, and which do not? Finally, our Mission Impact Framework and Theory of Change can help us structure our responses.
- YWCA USA Policy Priorities can also provide guidance in structuring your community response.
- The newly released Racial Justice Training Manual includes resources and analysis to help foster learning and progress in your communities.
- Review the YWCA's Commitment to Women of Color Mini-Paper to learn more about why women of color are at the center of our work.
- Take a look at the advocacy tools and resources available on the Intranet for additional assistance.
Speak out when violence occurs, and continuing speaking out even when there isn't violence on the front page. Here are some ways you can do this:
- Share YWCA USA's joint statement with YWCA Central Virginia and YWCA Richmond – and add your own local angle.
- Statements should be timely, concise, in line with YWCA's values and desire for boldness, and representative of your local stake in the issue.
- Here are some other examples of YWCA USA statements regarding violence and oppression. You can always share YWCA USA's statements with your local reporters.
- Police Violence and Racial Profiling
- Department of Education: Believe Sexual Assault Survivors
- Flint Charges
- Sanctuary Cities
- Threats to Religious Institutions
- Condemning All Forms of Racism
- Dallas Shooting
- Alton Sterling
- Orlando
- Daniel Holtzclaw
- Islamophobia
- Anti-Muslim Protests
- Share resources, articles, blogs, and research that dispel myths and put women and girls of color at the forefront. Share original YWCA materials like the racial profiling checklists.
- Use graphics and visuals to make information more quickly understandable.
- Amplify messages from women of color leaders on social media and in your public statements
Talk to your policy makers and local leaders. Here are some simple, clear messages you can share:
- YWCA is committed to eliminating racism and we are asking you to condemn white supremacy and violence against communities of color.
- While white supremacists and other extremists are emboldened right now, we are also concerned about daily challenges communities of color face in the United States including racial profiling and criminalization, immigration, gender-based violence, disparate maternal health outcomes, access to healthcare, and economic inequality. We invite to join us in the daily work of dismantling the systemic racism that is impacting our community.
- YWCA [association name] provides [list some key services] in your community and we are becoming increasingly concerned about racism and white supremacy. One thing you might not know about YWCA is that we are committed to racial justice and ensuring equal protection under the law for everyone. We would like to set up a time to talk with you further about tangible policy solutions to address institutionalized racism.
Take direct action in your community. Here are some external resources and opportunities to coordinate action:
Take stock of the resources and relationships you already have locally and consider how you can use them to be a part of the solution. Here are just a few ways:
- If other community organizations are actively working on this issue, ask yourself what opportunities may exist for collaboration. What can your YWCA bring to the organizing table?
- If there are marches, rallies, and other grassroots activism in your community, how can your YWCA get involved? Can your YWCA have a presence on the ground and show community leaders that YWCA is on a mission? Get creative: For example, if you run a childcare center, can you stay open late to provide more community members the opportunity to be involved?
- Consider convening a community dialogue or providing space, if you have it, for student and activist groups to meet.
- Amplify the fact that women and girls of color are the leaders of this movement. If you have an existing relationship with local law enforcement, build on that trust to open a dialogue with them about how to address and end racial bias in policing.
Help provide care for your staff, your colleagues, your community members, and anyone else around you who might be directly or indirectly impacted. Trauma is very real. The people closest to or members of particular communities are often the most strongly impacted in the wake of a crisis. Consider your employees' needs. Our work eliminating racism and empowering women starts at home. While we recognize the importance of responding swiftly, we also realize that many employees are feeling alone, frustrated, dismayed, shocked, hurt, and unsafe. Many of us cannot simply carry on "business as usual." In addition, consider ways that your organization, in its own way, can provide support for impacted communities in the wake of tragedies. Here are just a few ideas:
- Connect with mental health providers in the community to provide support to your staff or maybe in a group setting for community members.
- Hold a vigil where community members can come together to mourn and find comfort.
- Invite your employees to a free or discounted cost yoga class.
- Recognize that everyone's needs will be different. Some on your team may need some time off or flexibility in the wake of these tragedies, while others may find comfort in staying busy at work.
- Here are some external resources that can help you generate other ideas:
As always, thank you for your continued commitment to standing up for social justice and pushing our bold mission forward. Please reach out to communications@ywac.org if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
YWCA USA Communications
#NationalCommunications