Well it’s 2021.
While we all surely looked forward to 2021 with excitement for, as my friend said, “a fresh start”, we have immediately been hit again with the truth and reality of the divided time that we are in. And, while we are all in it together the experience of it is not the same for all.
I am not stunned that so many of my own Club members and acquaintances and “friends” don’t understand their own participation in the dynamic of the profound division of this country. I even understand why some of you reading this right now don’t understand why a Black Woman, The CEO of an organization that seeks to aid and assist marginalized people every single day had to address this on some level. I dare not just go on as though hatred and racist activity in Lansing, Washington DC and yes, Ann Arbor is not real.
It is. It is everywhere.
But this I know for sure. There are good people too. There are people that sincerely want better for all. There are people who love their neighbors mostly or at least like them a lot. There are people who fight everyday for the cast down, hungry, left in the cold human that needs assistance and a helping hand. There are people in Lansing, Washington DC, Ann Arbor and everywhere that are just as saddened by the events of January 6 as I am. Those people are our donors, our volunteers, our Board our Staff. They do want our world to be better, they want life to be better for all, they do not want needless suffering and two systems of justice. And while we understand that this horror against Democracy is not over, we believe that good will eventually prevail. We believe that more people want liberty and justice for all than it might look like in a sound bite.
So, as the days and weeks continue and while we fight Covid, hunger and poverty, please understand we will stand against racism and oppression and social injustice anywhere.
This thing happened. It’s real.
But everyone does not have to tolerate it. We don’t know how or if it will ever be completely gone but we will continue to stand against White Supremacy, intolerance of others, racist activity and the like. We welcome our differences and we support completely your right to be disappointed and not agree. We believe in the rule of law, peaceful protest, the right to debate and the Constitution.
We will continue to feed and clothe and help and be a beacon for someone in need. We hope you will be with us. It has never been easy to eliminate hatred, especially among the lies but the power is in trying. The power is in good. The power is in caring for others. The power is in not quitting. We won’t quit.
However, we must not allow our donations and reaching out to help wipe away the truth. Sometimes because we help or reach out it allows us to ignore the hard work of figuring out what truly is needed to force change. We can’t just write a check and turn the page. Let us not fall into escapism because we delivered food or purchased a computer for a family. We must help with determination to pull up the roots of these issues facing us all. We must not take the easy way out. We will stand against social injustice anywhere. We know that much of our problems are systemic. We will seek to educate those who do not understand that policy must change too.
You have a voice use it. In your family, with your friends, among the racist and confusion in your own life. No longer just let it go. Speak up. Even if it goes no where. Because you witnessed what happens on January 6, 2021 what happens when no correction occurs. What happens when people are left with wrong thinking inside them. You have influence. Use it.
We will do all that we can to continue to put people above buildings or monuments. To continue to provide a hand, a light, a source of strength for people. We will continue to partner with sincere organizations throughout our County to deliver even one day of peace or rest for someone suffering.
We ask you to stick with us! We ask you to understand when we need to speak out. We ask you to pray that one day we will be better than we are right now. We ask that you hope as we do that we will be a United country with liberty and justice for all.
We made it through 2020!! Now into 2021 Keep your Mask on!!! Keep washing your hands with soap and stay apart from others AND….get vaccinated as soon as you can!!!
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