We mourn the murder of eight people in Atlanta. Legal definitions aside, we are all witnesses of this abhorrent hate crime. Six of the eight victims are of Asian descent. We are all accountable for the public environment that spawned the unvarnished prejudice and hate that killed these innocents.
Words matter. They have consequences. Years of targeted language and intentional baiting have once again borne fruit.
We want our Asian neighbors, friends, and colleagues to know we empathize with your fear and distress. We share your anger that this and other tragedies continue to afflict your community. We commit ourselves at Nonprofit Austin to continuing our work to heighten our community’s consciousness of the pervasive racism that is the foundation of this prejudice and hate.
Our Civil Society programs on the Asian and Pacific Islanders’ experiences in Austin highlight the diversity and importance of the Asian American community in Austin. They also underscore the challenges Asian Americans face. Atlanta proves the impact of willful scapegoating that the current pandemic has spawned.
Neighbors, friends, and colleagues – we stand with you. We mourn with you. We fear the consequences of hateful words and will continue to share in our common struggle to eliminate prejudice and hate and strengthen person-to-person understanding.