06/02/2020
The following is a statement on the current Black Lives Matter protests and the murders by police of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and many other Black individuals:
UC Berkeley Phi Chi fully condemns the racist murders by police of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and countless other Black individuals. We mourn for their tragic loss of life and are galvanized to actively show up for Black individuals and stand in solidarity against racist police brutality and anti-Blackness.
The inexcusable police brutality and violence against Black communities is symptomatic of this country’s racist history. We must acknowledge how the United States has systematically oppressed Black people and Black communities, to understand the systemic nature of this injustice: the enslavement of Black people, the Tuskegee Experiments, the deliberate use of redlining practices, the objectification of enslaved Black women as tools for gynecology experiments, the disregard for Black maternal health, and so many more injustices. Racism and anti-Blackness in all its forms––structural, institutional, and through violent disregard for Black life at the hands of police––must be called out in this moment.
It is absolutely our responsibility as pre-health students and future health care professionals to acknowledge this history, learn from this history, and recognize its impacts on Black individuals in this country. Silence is complicity, and we affirm our support for Black individuals at UC Berkeley and across the nation. We unequivocally stand with Black individuals and communities as they mourn, heal, protest, and make sense of such tragic loss of life.
As an organization that is primarily non-Black, we are committed to practicing anti-racism and to combating anti-Blackness. Please join us donating, protesting, and sharing the resources linked down below, courtesy of ASUC President Victoria Vera:
Anti-racist educational resources for allies to learn and support, compiled by the Black Student Union:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BRlF2_zhNe86SGgHa6-VlBO-QgirITwCTugSfKie5Fs/mobilebasic
http://inthesetimes.com/article/20459/white-ally-racism-charlottesville-capitalism
https://www.opalpdx.org/white-people-need-to-dismantle-white-supremacy/
https://www.dismantlecollective.org/
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/14/magazine/1619-america-slavery.html
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1odJy1Mj5lsr94xbS_5EHhEYmvls9QsE5o7nLsyzWV4U/mobilebasic
Ways to get involved:
Bay Area Action Toolkit: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-RlzGaX8FBVYKJWutW1nPXMaWdI8HanVKrPslCbNqiM/edit
Who to Call, Where to Donate, Petitions to Sign: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-0KC83vYfVQ-2freQveH43PWxuab2uWDEGolzrNoIks/mobilebasic
Donation Sites:
Black Visions Collective https://secure.everyaction.com/4omQDAR0oUiUagTu0EG-Ig2
Reclaim the Block https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yLWGTQIe3967hdc9RSxBq5s6KKZHe-3_mWp5oemd7OA/mobilebasic
Bail Funds https://bailfunds.github.io/?fbclid=IwAR3EMLB7sM6vKxX5gyA_Zr4C1onyOLNQ1l5wZ2-KOfgtLa5U_9DcA3BJK3s
Here is a document shared from the Black Retention and Recruitment Center that is a list of sites for donations
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X4-YS3vFn5CLL9QtJSU0xqmTh_h8XilXgOqGAjZISBI/preview?fbclid=IwAR1m8s2hn3YPBJ8vjs6SRbXzEmaSbrS6ac97psHaCnjF6IeeqqWtbjWnx_g&pru=AAABcpWZF3s*tAejEF7XjkG-bVsqM_YQVw
The Assembly Appropriations Committee will be voting on ACA 5 on June 2, please submit public comment at: https://apro.assembly.ca.gov/
Template comment can be found: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1777ete9-g6krxDje0qUiog3NffWifijL-gWNHdgVv-4/edit?usp=sharing
Resources for Students at UC Berkeley:
Hate Crime Reporting: stophate.berkeley.edu
ASUC Student Advocate’s Office: [email protected]
Students with urgent mental health concerns should call (510) 642-9494 to speak with a Tang Center counselor. For after-hours support, call (855) 817-5667. This is a resource for all students, NOT limited to students with SHIP. For more info: https://uhs.berkeley.edu/counseling/urgent
In Solidarity,
UC Berkeley Phi Chi
This document is intended to serve as a resource to white people and parents to deepen our anti-racism work. If you haven’t engaged in anti-racism work in the past, start now. Feel free to circulate this document on social media and with your friends, family, and colleagues.
