Founder’s Letter Summer 2024
Hey Babes,
I hope you are well as you read these words.
As I write this, I feel solemn and tender. Words are not enough, but they are at least something.
I want to express my condolences to the family and loved ones of the three young girls whose lives were taken during this horrible attack in Stockport.
Since then, we have collectively seen and experienced a display of racism, xenophobia, islamophobia and violent discrimination directed at our community and those adjacent to us of non-White heritage. These are things we know, we feel, and we experience on a regular basis within the West as a minoritised group. These are the underlying feelings of discomfort and covert displays of oppression we know well; we speak on and are often silenced during the process.
Britain is excellent at appearing great. The way in which racism and discrimination are woven quietly into its systems makes you question your reality, and those who speak are coined as having a chip on their shoulder or now ‘woke’ as a derogatory term.
Tired does not describe it.
I am praying for safety and comfort for our communities at this time. We deserve better than this. I hope we can utilise space and resources that support us through this time, whether it be friends, family, self-care rituals, or simply resting more to recover.
If your employer has not already given flexibility in your working routine, please do ask if you need to be home to feel safe and settled. It is okay if you are not at your best right now; we are witnessing distressing events that have serious implications. I hope you can be compassionate with yourself as we process through this.
We will reserve space for this in our next support group on 14th August. In the meantime, please use our community platforms, such as our Whatsapp chat or Discord, as needed.
We are not alone in our plight to create a society that eradicates racism and discrimination. This week, the streets of London and other areas of England proved that in numbers, with people taking the streets in the thousands to protect us. I hold hope in my heart that there are more of us than them, and we are stronger together.
I am wishing you well until we speak again.
Lots of love
Vivienne x
Free Haiti - https://hopeforhaiti.com/
Free Congo - Tiktok & link to the petition
Free Palestine - Thread of ways to support
Free Sudan - Thread of ways to support
Suggestions of ways to support numerous causes, including Hawaii, Lebanon & Yemen