'The Fight Is Not Over' - A Letter To The PSL Community
Image from InternetMatters.org
This message is from Executive Director, Isabelle Kent, to the PSL Community.
Philly Startup Leaders Community -
For nearly a year, we have watched, waited, and demanded that justice be served. Yesterday, the jury in the Derek Chauvin murder trial delivered a Guilty verdict – a rare instance of accountability. It is important that we acknowledge that our community deserves time and space to process this exhausting and emotional journey.
The fight is not over – all over the nation, we’ve seen nearly a thousand police murders disproportionately targeting Black and Hispanic individuals in the last year alone. Less than 2% of these resulted in charges against the offending officer, and a fraction resulted in conviction. It is critical that we not only demand justice in each of these instances, but that we actionably challenge the systemic racism, institutional unaccountability, and white supremacy which enables and excuses these travesties against the Black community. It is not enough to convict; we must move towards a world where Black lives aren’t stolen in the first place.
We call on the leaders in our community, to make space for healing in our organizations, giving your teams time to rest and heal. We encourage leadership to make mental health services available, audit and dismantle bias in your own organizations by creating plans of intentional action, and continue to do the daily work of becoming anti-racist. We call for action beyond acknowledgment, through education, mutual aid, and systemic reform.
In addition to the work we do in our professional communities, there are more ways to get involved:
Support The BREATHE Act: While the Justice in Policing Act puts the onus on police departments to prosecute offending officers, The BREATHE Act outlines community-led public safety initiatives to address the root causes of police brutality. https://breatheact.org/action/
Donate to Black Mental Health Access organizations like Black Men Heal, The Black Mental Health Alliance, Black Women’s Health Imperative, and Radical Healing, which connects Black Queer and Trans Practitioners with Queer & Trans clients. Educate yourself with the toolkit provided by BEAM (Black Emotional & Mental Health Collective) and support local healing organizations like SpiritsUP!
Empower Black youth through programs like OnEPhiladelphia, Philly Futures, Soil Philadelphia, Parents United for Public Education, and Urban Creators.
Promote Black wealth by supporting Black businesses, which can be found through Katika, Philly Black, National Black Guide, and Black & Mobile.
Give financially or in-kind to local organizations working towards justice through mutual aid and reform such as Black Giving Circle, Black Lives Matter Philly, Philly Community Bail Fund, and Philadelphia Bail Fund. Amistad Law Project is also a great option dismantling mass incarceration nationally.
Communicate with your elected officials to advocate for inclusive, equitable, and empowering policies.
Continue to educate yourself on anti-racism through podcasts, film, dialogue, and books that you can pick up from the iconic Black-owned book shops in Philly, like Harriett’s Bookshop, Uncle Bobbie’s, and Hakim’s Bookstore. Take responsibility for your own education and share what you learn with others close to you.
Know that every day you have the choice to make changes. When we all share in the work of dismantling white supremacy, we create a better future for our community – a future where everyone is treated with dignity and is free to live lives without fear. That’s a future worth fighting for.
In solidarity,
Isabelle Kent & the Philly Startup Leaders team