Dear Community Members,
We wanted to take a moment to reach out to you and express our deepest gratitude for the work you have done in supporting justice, inclusion, and belonging for all people. Your commitment and the efforts of those who came before us have made a profound impact.
As we navigate through these challenging times—when backlash against progress seems to grow louder—it’s easy to feel discouraged. But we want to remind you that your voice, your actions, and your dedication are incredibly important, and your resilience is needed now more than ever. The road toward justice and equality has never been without obstacles, but it is through collective determination that we create lasting change.
Always remember that your advocacy, in whatever small or large way you engage, continues to pave the way for a more inclusive future, and your courage inspires those around you. In a time when fear and hate threaten to divide us you may feel discouraged and weary, but know that together we can overcome the hurdles ahead and bring about the transformation that is so desperately needed for our multicultural democracy to thrive.
We want to share with you four tenets that are helping to guide and ground us.
1. Rely on one another and collaborate. Our diversity of experience and perspective is one of our greatest strengths in supporting one another and taking collective actions for justice, which is precisely why it is seen as so threatening.
2. Get clear information with boundaries. Uncertainty can feel as destabilizing as the barrage of information coming at us. Here are a few sources we’ve found useful.
Scot Nakagawa, co-founder and Co-Director of the 22nd Century Initiative (22CI), writes regular posts with bite-sized bits of information, analysis, and suggestions for organizing in his blog, The Anti-Authoritarian Playbook.
Legal guidance: Know Your Rights – ACLU.
The Attorneys General of Massachusetts, Illinois, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont issued this Guidance to help businesses, nonprofits, and other organizations navigate the President’s Executive Orders on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Listening to everything that is happening around us can feel overwhelming. Be mindful of how much media you absorb.
3. Focus on what you can control within your sphere of influence. Identifying some actions you can take, no matter how small, can feel empowering and energizing. Do this in collaboration (see #1) so you can be strategic in contributing to the collective efforts of your community.
4. Use tools you already have. Yes, we will have to pivot and do some things differently, but don’t dismantle the strong foundation you already have. For us, that means leaning into our Foundational Beliefs around Belonging and our Norms for Courageous Conversations. Working in a way that centers the humanity of others, especially when we are triggered, helps us stay grounded in the vision we have for a more just society. These tools help guide how we show up with one another, which is just as important as what we do to sustaining our communities.
Please know that Cultures Connecting stands with you in this journey and will continue to support you in any way we can. Your perseverance is what keeps hope alive, and the future remains brighter because of people like you who dare to make it so.
Stay strong, stay resilient, and know that you are not alone.
With gratitude,
Caprice, Ilsa, Richard, JP, and Judy