The recent shooting in Atlanta is yet another glaring example of the racism that plagues our society. This event is a horrific marker of the recent upswing in xenophobic and hateful violence that has affected the AAPI community since the start of the pandemic. Violence perpetrated against people of color, particularly women of color in vulnerable populations, is reprehensible and demonstrates the societal work still necessary to dismantle racist systems.
The youth we serve through Spark Programs across the region are watching to see how we, the adults who are guiding them, react and act in the face of this senseless violence. If we are silent, that will speak more loudly than anything else. In order to show our students the possibilities that their futures hold, we must all work together to build our community into a safer place for them to thrive. Please reach out with any questions or concerns as we continue working to better our organization and our programming for our community.