Reading In Motion’s Statement of Solidarity Against Racial Injustice
June 1, 2020
We stand in solidarity – in sadness, in pain, in frustration – against the injustice of the murder of George Floyd, and countless others. We are heartbroken, angered, and mourning the lives lost to unjust and unnecessary violence against people of color.
Over 90% of our students are young people of color, and face institutionalized racism daily. Inequities within our education system directly affect students of color, and greatly influence their futures before they even have the chance to meet their classmates. We believe education and literacy are the foundations of future success, and through our early reading programs we work to ensure all students have the skills needed to reach their potential.
As an organization we may only interact with these students in the classroom, but as active members of the community, we understand these issues extend far, far beyond it. Issues such as police brutality, COVID-19, and others disproportionately affect black and brown communities, and the violence we’ve seen recently only accentuates the systemic inequality within our society as a whole.
Reading In Motion is committed to supporting our community as it heals and seeks justice, from both recent tragedies and the generations of trauma endured by people of color. We will continue to work, within our own organization and by advocating in our community, to dismantle these systems of oppression, to understand and acknowledge privilege, and to listen and learn.
At Reading In Motion, we believe in the power of words. Reading is a process of understanding, and an exercise in empathy. By reading the words of others, we are better able to learn perspectives and histories that differ from our own. In order to heal, we must first understand. And today, we encourage all in our community to do as we are: to seek out the perspectives of others, to listen to and amplify the voices of people of color, and stand with them in creating a more just society.
Below we’ve listed just a few of important resources right now, and there are many others available. We encourage you to share resources with us as well!
To get involved:
To have important conversations at home:
To continue to educate yourself:
