In Solidarity with the Black Community

Content Warning:  racial violence

The Asian American Activities Center (A3C) and Asian American Studies (AAS) staff and faculty are outraged by the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police. We recognize his death is not an isolated event but one in a long history of racial violence that has claimed countless Black lives. A3C and AAS stand in solidarity with the Black community on campus and nationally and raise our voices to demand justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and far too many others.

The foundations of economic and political power in this country were built and rest on systemic, institutionalized anti-Black racism and white supremacy. As Asian Americans, we recognize that, as people of color, our struggle for equality is tied to the struggle to dismantle anti-Black racism. Gains made by our communities have been the direct result of Black liberation and civil rights movements. Now more than ever we need to stand for Black lives. We cannot remain silent, especially when one of the officers responsible for George Floyd’s death is Asian American. We must act against anti-Black racism.

We acknowledge the impact of recent events on students and colleagues in the Stanford Black community and at the Black Community Services Center in particular. We are here for you and will work within our communities to build solidarity and end anti-Blackness, whether in our families, communities or larger society.

In solidarity,

Asian American Activities Center & Asian American Studies

Ways to Support and Get Involved:

• Campaign Zero
• Fight against the dehumanization and devaluation of black people: Blacklivesmatter.com
• The NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund

Demand the sentencing of the four police officers involved in George Floyd's murder. 

• Call the following Minneapolis officials or email them using this template:
  • Mayor Jacob Frey: (612) 673-2100
  • DA Mike Freeman: (612) 348-5550
  • Hennepin County Attorney Office: (612) 673-2100
• Join a phone bank organized by Stanford Students for Workers' Rights.
• Sign this petition organized by Color of Change demanding the prosecution of the officers involved in the murder of George Floyd.

Donate to: 

Minnesota Freedom Fund (bail out for protesters). Click to donate.
Black Visions Collective (QT & Black led organizing committee). Click to donate.
Reclaim The Block (Police divestment org in minneapolis). Click to donate. 
North Star Health Collective (on the ground medical supplies and personnel) Click to donate.

Support Local Demands: 

Sign Reclaim the Block’s petition urging MN city council to defund the police.
26 Ways to be in the Struggle Beyond the Streets.

Other Resources:

• Fighting Anti-Blackness in AAPI communities.
• How the “Model Minority Myth” negatively affects Black communities.
• Letters for Black Lives created a resource to help start an intergenerational conversation about anti-Black sentiments and support for the Black community.
• Recent writings on George Floyd and events on racial violence: Roxane Gay, New York Times opinion: Remember, No One is Coming to Save Us, and The American Nightmare by Ibram X. Kendin.
• Letter from a region on my mind by James Baldwin.
• Watch Toni Morrison interview where she deconstructs whiteness and white supremacy.
• A recommended resource to learn more about the history of racial violence: The James Baldwin documentary: I Am Not Your Negro directed by Raoul Peck and based on Baldwin’s writings.
• How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi.
• White Rage by Carol Anderson.
• White Fragility: Why it’s so hard for white people to talk about racism by Robin DiAngelo.
• Between The World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates.
• The New Jim Crow: Mass incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander.
• Biased by Jennifer Eberhardt.
• The Case for Reparations by Ta-Nehisi Coates.
• Anti-racism resources for white people: Resource guide compiled by Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein for white people to deepen their anti-racist work.
• Confronting white supremacy: Educational resource sheet put together by educators to discuss and dismantle white supremacy in the classroom.
• Resource Hub for Black History and Activism: Google Drive compiled by Charles Preston, filled with books and other important work by Black activists and readings on a range of topics.
• Beyond the Hashtag - How to Take Anti-Racist Action in Your Life: Article written by Zyahna Bryant about how to take steps towards non-performative activism and anti-racist actions.
• Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson.
• The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin.
• When Affirmative Action Was White: An Untold History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth-Century America by Ira Katznelson.
• The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein.
• Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America by James Foreman.
• The Red Record by Ida B. Wells.
• The Souls of Black Folk by W. E. B. Du Bois.

On-Campus Resources:

• Black Community Services Center (BCSC) - Join The Diaspora listserv for updates.
• Asian American Activities Center office hours:  Click here for office hours.
• Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offer crisis counseling for urgent needs. Clinicians are always on call, even after hours, at (650) 723-3785
• Black CAPS Counselors, LaWanda Hill, Danielle Amajoyi, and Sedale Williams are available through direct messaging on CAPS website.
• Asian American counselor available by appointment:  Helen Hsu.
• The Bridge Peer Counseling Center offers counseling by trained students 24/7 at (650) 723-3392.
• The Office for Religious Life offers spiritual guidance for students at (650) 723-1762.
• Zoom Office Hours with Dr. Rania Awaad. Sign up here.
• The Graduate Life Office is available during office hours at (650) 736-7078, or 24/7 at (650) 723-8222, pager ID number 25085.

**Credit to list of resources by the staff and students of The Markaz: Resource Center, El Centro Chicano y Latino, and Dr. Lupe Carillo.**