HAA's Statement on Standing in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter
It’s hard to find the right words to say at this time. Our hearts break, not just from seeing the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and the countless other innocent Black men and women, but reckoning with the centuries long racial injustices caused by systemic oppression in our country.
These protests and acts of violence may seem far away from Hawai‘i, but the lack of proximity does not give us the privilege to ignore it. And it certainly does not mean that racism towards African Americans does not exist in our aloha state. In the last 10 years, African Americans submitted about 30% of the race-related employment discrimination complaints, while comprising only 3% of our state population.
We must take steps to educate ourselves, examine our privileges and implicit biases, and take actions to dismantle any and every form of racism. Afterschool programs present a unique opportunity for our community to become anti-racist. We have the opportunity to create safe spaces with our youth to talk about race relations, to empower them to create change in our communities, and to be better than the generations before them.
Join us in solidarity with our Black brothers and sisters in Hawai‘i as well as those on the continent. Take a look at these resources to take the first steps of educating ourselves and our keiki on this important issue.
Mahalo,
Paula and Jenn
Hawai‘i Afterschool Alliance
These protests and acts of violence may seem far away from Hawai‘i, but the lack of proximity does not give us the privilege to ignore it. And it certainly does not mean that racism towards African Americans does not exist in our aloha state. In the last 10 years, African Americans submitted about 30% of the race-related employment discrimination complaints, while comprising only 3% of our state population.
We must take steps to educate ourselves, examine our privileges and implicit biases, and take actions to dismantle any and every form of racism. Afterschool programs present a unique opportunity for our community to become anti-racist. We have the opportunity to create safe spaces with our youth to talk about race relations, to empower them to create change in our communities, and to be better than the generations before them.
Join us in solidarity with our Black brothers and sisters in Hawai‘i as well as those on the continent. Take a look at these resources to take the first steps of educating ourselves and our keiki on this important issue.
Mahalo,
Paula and Jenn
Hawai‘i Afterschool Alliance