A Message to the AAPI & PSL Community
Photo from NBC News
This message is from Executive Director, Isabelle Kent, to the AAPI and PSL Community.
To The Philly Startup Leaders Community,
The Greater Philadelphia area and the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region, PSL included, are blessed with diversity in its residents and members. Each person deserves to feel safe, welcome, and respected in their neighborhoods, public spaces, and workspaces. Philadelphia's AAPI communities are vital and valued parts of our identity, culture, and society.
The mass shootings in Atlanta are not isolated incidents, but rather part of a growing pattern of racially-motivated attacks and murders rooted in bigotry, xenophobia, and often misogyny. Attacks on the Asian community are up 150% from previous years, according to Stop AAPI Hate, and 68% were targeted towards women.
Philly Startup Leaders stands in solidarity with the AAPI community. We empathize with their pain and condemn the wave of violence.
Businesses are the primary places of discrimination*. We call on all of our members to reflect on the most recent events and take action in the face of hate. It is on every one of us to challenge and dismantle the deep systemic bias that perpetuates white supremacy and misogyny, and to do the necessary work to address bias in ourselves, our organizations, and our communities through education, awareness, and action.
Speak up, speak out, and see the resources on our site for more ways to get involved. We are here for our AAPI peers and members with doors open.
In solidarity,
Isabelle Kent
Executive Director
*Stop AAPI Hate 2020 - 2021 National Report
Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash
organizations & Resources
Stop AAPI Hate
Learn More
AAPI Community Fund
Learn More
Learning For Justice
Learn More
Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC)
Learn More
AAPI Women Lead I’m Ready Movement
Learn More
Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy
Learn More
TGP Advocacy & Intersectionality: Fighting Racism & Injustice Open-Sourced Library
Learn More
#StopAsianHate: An Urgent Call for Solidarity & An Open-Sourced Library to Educate, Advocate, and Take Action
by The GREEN Program
Learn More
Anti-Asian Hate: Silence Is Not An Option And Allyship Needs To Be More Than A Hashtag
by Technical.ly
Learn More
The Leadership Representation Ceiling for Asian Americans
by Bloomberg
Learn More
Are we missing anything? Please let us know by submitting what resources you have found helpful!