Dear Friends of Friends:
All of us at Friends of the Children grieve for the eight people recently murdered in Atlanta, six of whom were AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) women. Our heartfelt support goes out to the AAPI members of our Friends-SF family — children, families and staff — who are most directly impacted by the horrifying wave of violence sweeping our country.
As a social justice organization, we condemn this violence and the hateful rhetoric that spawns it. To paraphrase Dr. King, these attacks on our neighbors are attacks on all of us. Now is the time to stand beside all of our AAPI brothers and sisters, and to stand up to those who seek to exploit our perceived differences for their own benefit.1
We must also learn to listen to our brothers and sisters, to understand the history of anti-AAPI racism in our country, and to find a new way forward. Janice Mirikitani is a member of our Board of Directors, co-founder of GLIDE, survivor of a WWII internment camp, and the second Poet Laureate of San Francisco. Please listen to Janice’s voice, below.
In Solidarity,
Michael Rugen
SF Co-Founder & Executive Director
Friends of the Children - SF Bay Area
1Learn what you can do to combat anti-AAPI violence.
