March 19th, 2021
Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) condemns all forms of xenophobia, anti-Asian racism, and anti-Blackness. Whether violence takes the form of environmental injustice, state-sanctioned divestment, or state-sanctioned terror, we reprehend these harms that stem from white supremacy and capitalism.
We condemn the anti-Asian hate, rhetoric, and violence that has arisen during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, we denounce those that advocate for increased policing as a solution to this issue. This includes the anti-Black response of Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf; who uses both her privilege and platform to push her pro-police agenda and divide communities of color. Schaaf’s response, to increase policing in our communities, comes during a time when Oakland has committed to reimagining public safety and put forth demands to defund the police. Our communities have first-hand experience that has shown increased policing does not equate to an increase in public safety.
Our commitment to a Just Transition embeds racial justice and social equity. We work to dismantle false solutions that seek to divide us while building a future rooted in community resilience. CBE is advocating for a Just Recovery: a redefinition of public safety that centers communities of color. We are calling on our elected officials to defund police budgets, and to reinvest in solutions that replenish, restore, and heal: safe housing, clean air and water, access to food and healthcare, healthy jobs and schools. We uplift the mutual aid efforts of those who are supporting community needs by providing solutions that center healing and restorative justice. We support calls to all civic leadership throughout California, particularly from the cities of San Francisco and Oakland, to immediately increase culturally relevant and trauma informed investments that:
1.) Ensure victims and survivors of all backgrounds and language abilities receive full supportive services so they can recover and heal.
2.) Expand intervention- and prevention-based programs; as well as invest in basic needs and community-based infrastructure that we know will end the cycle of violence, which will keep all of us safer.
3.) Resource cross-community education and healing in Asian American and Black communities that humanizes all of us rather than demonizes or scapegoats any community of color.
CBE stands united with all those who are working to end violence against and within their communities. We will continue building cross-racial solidarity with our allies to reimagine and reinvest in long term community centered solutions.
We encourage our members, allies, and followers to support and amplify the efforts of:
- Oakland Little Saigon
- Oakland Chinatown Coalition
- Coalition for Community Safety and Justice (CCSJ)
- Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN)
- Chinatown Community for Equitable Development (CCED)
- Ktown4BlackLives (@ktown4blacklives)
- Tuesday Night Project (@tnproject)
- Nikkei Progressives (@NikkeiProgressives)
- Sunday Jump (@thesundayjump)
- API Equality-LA (@apiequalityla)
- Kabataang maka-Bayan/ProPeople Youth (@kmb_la)
- Progressive Asian Network for Action (PANA) (@progressiveasians)
- Palms Up Academy (@palmsupacademy)
- J-Town Action and Solidarity (@jtown.action.and.solidarity)
- Khmer Girls in Action (KGA) (@kgalb)
CBE encourages all to continue learning about the issues of violence facing our Asian American communities, and to continue uplifting community-led solutions around elder needs and public safety.
In community and solidarity,
Communities for a Better Environment (CBE)