Responding to a weekend of hate with hope
Why does Hand in Hand, a network of people who employ domestic workers for personal or home support or childcare, exist?
Because we know that we — and in fact, all people — depend on one another to survive and thrive. And because we know that the history of this country has made survival and opportunity more challenging for people who are not white, Christian, straight, cis-gender, able-bodied men.
Through conversation, community, and action, we work to change that.
The armed white supremacists’ gathering in Charlottesville, Virginia to promote racist, fascist, neo-Nazi ideas is horrifying, but it is not new. It is the latest manifestation of a strain of hate and violence with a long history in America. It is escalating now as Trump turns his racist, antisemitic, Islamophobic, and xenophobic campaign rhetoric into policy.
Our work at Hand in Hand, from shifting our own practices at home to fighting for policy change, is part of undoing the legacy of slavery in America (read more here or here). We’ve won in the past and we’ll win again, precisely because we come together as a coalition of seniors, parents, people with disabilities, workers, and employers.
This is why we started our #SanctuaryHomes campaign following the election: To deepen the ways in which we support each other in this country in moments like this. To help each other speak up, show up, and build the world we want, starting in our own homes.
Here’s what Lindsay, our California-based organizer and mother of two young children, had to say:
“Still processing the racist and deadly attacks by white supremacists in Charlottesville, I fight feelings of despair at the ugliness of this hate with my belief in the power of communities of color to defend themselves and to unite with anti-racist white people in the campaign for justice and equity in this country and beyond.
As a mixed-race parent who is trying to teach my children how to speak up for themselves in the face of discrimination and how to work with those who are different from them toward a world where every child feels valued for who they are, I am searching for ways to talk them about the hatred in Charlottesville and the courage that we all need to show in this moment and in every moment to work for solidarity and justice.
… Today, I commit to talk with my kids about Charlottesville.”
Please join us by taking as many of these actions as you can this week:
- Contribute to groups who are working against racism in Charlottesville
- Talk to the person you employ. Ask how they are. Conversation and care are healing and help us build power by making stronger bonds between us all.
- Show your neighbors love by putting up a sign of support. We have signs you can print.
- Get involved in creating a world with more tolerance and justice, less hate and violence. Join Hand in Hand or our #SanctuaryHomes campaign.
- Read and share these words and the reflections of our California-based organizer, Lindsay.
Here are more resources for parents who wish to speak to their children about this week’s news and to teach anti-racism in their home:
What Charlottesville Means to Our Black Family
How to Talk To Your Kids About the Violence in Charlottesville
Five Ways to Reduce Racial Bias in Your Children
White parents, here’s how to start talking to your children about race
If you come across other useful guidance for parents, please share them in the comments, and tell us how you are planning to take action.
(Lindsay’s words and these resources are also on our Facebook page, if you’d like an easy way to share her resources with your friends and family.)
