NPEIV Public Statement
We say their names to honor their lives and humanity: George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Tony McDade… There are literally too many lives lost to list.
Racism and systemic violence against Black lives is not new. It has been part of our global history since long before any of us were alive. Nobody, in any city, state, or country, can continue to ignore the systemic violence against Black people.
The National Partnership to End Interpersonal Violence (NPEIV) is partnership of people, organizations, agencies and coalitions working together on a national, multi-disciplinary, cross-cultural scale to end interpersonal violence.
We support the truth that Black Lives Matter. We know that to make the prevention of interpersonal violence a national priority, we must make the elimination of systemic oppression a national priority. Until we have deep, broad, and comprehensive policy reform, there will be no peace, justice, or reconciliation.
Since our inception, NPEIV has been on its journey of being anti-racist as part of its anti-violence mission. We know that we have a long way to go, but we are not shying away from our responsibility. We actively pursue partnerships with more people, organizations, and communities that have been historically silenced in education, research, practice, and policy. We are increasingly diversifying our Board composition to better represent diverse racial and cultural backgrounds. Last year, our annual Think Tank focused on shared knowledge and action related to oppression. Now, we are undergoing a strategic planning process to refocus our work to end interpersonal violence.
We must all do more than talk. We must act. There are many things to do, at individual, organizational, and societal levels.
Individuals – Doing the “Inner Work”
Listen and learn. Now is not the time to ask for more labor from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). They have been sharing their experiences, and wisdom about how to end racism for many, many years. We recommend starting by searching online for their publications, art, music, etc. to listen to and learn from their messages. Some examples of resources:
• My Grandma’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem
• White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
• How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
• So You Want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo
• Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
• George Floyd Resource Compilation
• Leading During Traumatic Events
Individuals – Taking Action
You can be part of the solution by taking small or big actions every day. Here are just some examples of actions you can take:
Form a group with trusted friends and colleagues to have the hard conversations from discovery, processing, healing, and transformation.
Support Black-run businesses and organizations. Pay attention to what you buy and from whom. Make active choices about where you spend your money.
Vote. Voter registration is declining, and access to voting is especially challenged for BIPOC. We need Black political power. Get out and vote. Help the BIPOC in your community to get out and vote.
Donate what you can afford in money and/or time to BIPOC-led and racial equity-focused work. Here are just some of the many examples:
Organizations and Individuals – Changing Policy
Organizations and individuals can advocate for policy change.
NPEIV supports the Movement for Black Lives’ policy platform. It outlines specific policy changes needed to end the criminalization, incarceration, and killing of Black people. These changes are not easy, but they are necessary. There are no simple solutions.
Contact your local, state, and national elected officials and advocate for policy change. President Obama shared an advocacy toolkit for effective community policing from the Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights. It highlights ways to engage in grassroots organizing and policy advocacy to “ensure that policing practices respect and protest civil and human rights.”
We stand in solidarity and commit to being part of the change.
Sincerely,
The NPEIV Leadership