Dear Partners, Stakeholders and all who will listen,

We at HealthierHere stand in solidarity with those protesting the murder of Black people in the United States. We demand justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many others who have been harmed and killed by police. Black lives matter.

Racism is a public health and human rights emergency. As individuals, as humans, and as parts of organizations, systems, communities, and families – we, together, are responsible for dismantling the systemic, structural racism that has traumatized and harmed Black people for over 400 years, and which actively continues today. As an organization dedicated to health equity, we know that we cannot eliminate disparities without confronting and changing the policies, practices and systems that cause and perpetuate those disparities and harm People of Color.

We must actively do the work in our personal and professional lives to address the root cause of this public health and human rights emergency: racism. If we do nothing to collectively address this problem, then we are contributing to the problem.

As a first step in our commitment to become part of the solution, HealthierHere commits to honoring the wisdom, voices and experiences of Black and Brown communities and leaders around us who are most impacted by racism every day. We invite you to join us in this journey by listening to understand some of the most important values, narratives and guidance that is coming from Black and Brown activists, protesters, leaders, and educators in our community and across the country:

"What is most urgently needed now is direct community support and assistance."

- Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County.
Learn more from this local organization’s updates and guidance.

"It seems there is an overwhelming expectation that Black activists and organizers will say something profound about Black death, but what I have to offer is not some profound truth but a simple request: Take action."

- Zyahna Bryant, activist and member of the Virginia African American
Advisory Board. Learn more from her website and her op-ed:
Beyond the Hashtag: How to Take Anti-Racist Action in Your Life.

“The concept of anti-racism has newly emerged through the weeds of complacency. This concept is the only way to move forward as a non-Black ally... To antagonize their message, one must walk by actively fighting, disrupting and dispelling their racist tones — both overt and subtle.”

- Jason L. Campbell, physician resident at Oregon Health & ScienceUniversity. Learn more from his article in the Seattle Times:Growing up a Black man in America: Why our souls are on fire.

"We are trying to do our work in systems. We got prosecutors who need to be voted out of office, we have schools in our neighborhoods in need of funding, we've got bail programs to deconstruct, we've got school policies that need reform, we've got healthcare programs to fix."

- Ijeoma Oluo, writer and speaker, named one of the
Most Influential People in Seattle by Seattle Magazine.
Learn more from her book: So You Want To Talk About Race.

Want to learn more? There are many resources available. Here are a few:

• Articles, organizations, videos and more
• Book list by The Lit. Bar
• Compilation of intersectional insights by Autostraddle
• Talks and trainings, e.g., Anti-Racism Intensive Workshop by Rachel Cargyle, Undoing Racism Workshop by The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond

We will share more about the strategies HealthierHere will implement, and thoughts on actions we and our partners can take. However, right now, we encourage you to listen and be part of the change that our country and our world needs.

This is a matter of life and death. To those impacted by racism every day, we stand in solidarity with you. To those who have privilege, we ask you to listen for understanding and join us in this fight.

In solidarity,
The HealthierHere Team