Updates

March 21, 2021

Statement of Solidarity with Asian and Pacific Islander Communities

We are all horrified by the recent hate crime that took the lives of eight individuals in Atlanta, Georgia, including six Asian American women, on the night of March 16th, 2021.  We must recognize this less as an anomaly but as an atrocious reminder of the surging hate crimes against our fellow community members.   This disturbing trend of increasing harassment, verbal abuse, and physical assault has become more visible during the pandemic.  This is not an isolated incident. The normalization of xenophobic, racist and intolerant culture of white supremacy and hegemonic masculinity often erupts in episodic violence, and sustains the legacy of western imperialism through various forms of cultural appropriation, fetishization, and the perpetuation of harmful narratives. 

Aligned with the fundamental ethos of NTFS, we repudiate this act of violence and speak out in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the Asian and Pacific Islander communities and against racism, violence, and hate speech. We must confront and condemn hate crimes, discrimination and gender violence in all forms and demand accountability and justice.   We must also call on those in public and elected offices to develop, enact, protect, and enforce the types of comprehensive policies to ensure justice and safeguards that this hideous crime never happens again.  Moreover, there needs to be sustained, demonstrative commitments to equality and antiracism in all leadership as a rule, rather than as a reaction. 

– The No Time for Silence team