This week is another week in almost 500 years of state violence and harm against BIPOC, another week of almost 500 years of resistance and fortitude by BIPOC. This week is election week in a year of elevated and escalated distress, harm, white violence, and still too much white silence. While racial reckoning and reimagining run across our screens and emails all day, our systems continue to disregard and dehumanize BIPOC communities. How? By continuing to render BIPOC solely as problems and risk; by reducing our pain and fortitude to COVID case rates, unemployment rates, and virtual school attendance days; by adultifying BIPOC young people so they can never ever just be kids; by enabling a false normalcy of whiteness that allows white people and white-led systems to forego acknowledgment and apology; and by unfairly counting on our undeniable resilience and brilliance in the face of 500 years of violence and state-sanctioned harm. These are just some of the ways.
If you know RYSE, you know we keep it real. RYSE is tired. Tired of the rhetoric on all sides that serve none of us. Tired of the fakery and fu*kery of white supremacy in all its forms and functions. Tired of the simultaneous fragility and brutality of our systems.
We are tired. And we are also ready. We are ready for a national election holding us at the precipice of 2 divergent paths. None of which is liberatory. But one that is dangerous and diabolical, that will require direct opposition and protest. The other that offers a temporary reprieve from the visceral assaults of supremacy, and which still calls on us to be and build beloved community. Whatever the outcome, we are ready. We will still be tired, we may be scared, we may be overwhelmed, we may be relieved. We will probably be all of it. But we will be ready. Ready to respond, gather, grieve, disrupt, dream, celebrate, and liberate.
Because amongst it all, we still RYSE. With love and rage, we still RYSE. Towards liberation and freedom, we still RYSE.
So as we RYSE into election week...
To our young people— RYSE loves you, we see you, we are sorry that our systems have not cared for you, and we know we have work to do to show up rightfully with you and for you. We commit to centering your emotional, physical, and political safety. We commit to holding adults and the systems accountable to your safety, your humanity.
To our adult and system partners— Just as ever, more than ever, we STRONGLY encourage and insist you use your power, privilege, and responsibility to support our young people, to let them know they are loved, to apologize and commit to do better. RYSE commits to staying in relationship and healthy struggle with all our partners, holding space as needed and requested, staying tender in our relationships, and strident in our values.
Here are some of the ways we all can and should show up for BIPOC youth:
Provide emotional support—do not censor their righteous rage, anger, and grief, or insist they should feel something they don’t. Bear witness and be present. If you cannot do this, find adults who can.
Actively affirm our young people. Be the first one to say or do something that shows young people we love them, we got them, we see them.
Listen and be ready to take their lead—support their leadership and ask them what they need. Meet these needs, even if you are uncomfortable. If you cannot do this, find the adults who can.
Ensure their safety—be the buffer between young people and the agents or agencies that threaten or try to contain their emotions, needs, and connections during this time.
Show them love & compassion, not shame or judgment—we are all learning and mistakes may be made. Affirm their showing up and taking leadership as acts of courage.
Make space for celebration and joy. Young people have worked tirelessly to pass multiple progressive and justice-centered initiatives. We must celebrate every win, even the small ones.
Offer the support, guidance, and resources they ask for, including relational, political, and material support.
We must all continue to hold each other in mutual support and accountability, especially because our systems won’t, and so that we can all dream and build the systems that will.
RYSE contacts for adult partners:
Kimberly Aceves-Iñiguez, Executive Director kimberly@rysecenter.org 510-206-5552
Kanwarpal Dhaliwal, Associate Director kanwarpal@rysecenter.org 510-579-1922
RYSE Post-Election Hotline: 510-255-1940, RYSE General Info Number: 510-214-2584