Since 2008, RYSE has been fighting the endemic and systemic forces of white supremacy and racial oppression, doing our best to carry the legacies of liberation work that came before us. This fight has been made more visible and more visceral since the COVID-19 pandemic began this March, and by the May uprisings confronting police brutality and state violence.
Our fight is matched only by our fortitude and our love for our young people and each other. RYSE staff have always been essential workers, first responders to acute, community, and direct state violence. First responders who stay in relationship so that we can restore, recover, and realize our collective healing.
The pandemic calls us more deeply into our fight and our fortitude. And we have met the call. We also know that we have been conditioned as people—people of color, queer people—to hold in our emotions, our feelings, our vulnerability and our humanity, in order to demonstrate courage and leadership.
For those of us that are in movement and liberation work, we are even further conditioned to believe that being “down for the cause” means being willing to sacrifice emotionally, mentally and physically. We’ve been taught that strength is in keeping it all together and never slowing down. And because we know that this conditioning is a tool of white supremacy, we understand that taking time for healing is a radical and necessary act.
Starting August 3rd through August 14th, RYSE is enacting a 2-week restoration for staff to rest and recharge mind, body, and spirit. What this means in practice is that the organization will be closed to members and the larger community.
We will not be responding to emails or calls until we return on August 17th. If there is an emergency you can reach out to either our Executive Director, Kimberly Aceves-Iniguez, at 510-206-5552 or our Associate Director, Kanwarpal Dhaliwal, at 510-579-1922.
Creating time for healing and for reflection is necessary to reimagine the world we both need and deserve. The work of dreaming up what doesn’t exist, is deep, heart-centered work that requires persistence.
We know that there are others out there in similar struggles. There are others out there trying to find space to breathe, to rest, and to regroup for what seems like an insurmountable struggle ahead of us. Just know we see you, we need you, and you are not alone.