Posting this on behalf of our friends and neighbors over the hill in Waterbury -- an active, determined group of people who are dedicated to the important cause of racial justice:
The Waterbury Anti-Racism Coalition (WARC) would like to thank the Waterbury Selectboard for agreeing to fly a banner supporting anti-racism at the town offices for an indefinite period of time. The banner will be raised on Saturday, July 25, at 11:00 am. If community members want to attend the very brief event, please make sure to practice social distancing, including wearing face masks.
The banner is considered a placeholder by WARC as we work towards a permanent mural that represents the anti-racist commitment of our community. The idea for the mural arose on the heels of the successful Rally for Anti-Racism on Sunday, June 19, organized by our group and attended by over 500 people from our community and beyond. As a grassroots organization, we are well positioned to represent the aspirations of our community to collectively strive toward anti-racism.
The banner reads "Waterbury Stands with Black Lives Matter." You can see it here: https://bit.ly/2Wjo6Ke
It is important to recognize that the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement does not exclude people of any other race. As mentioned on the BLM website, "We are expansive. We are a collective of liberators who believe in an inclusive and spacious movement." The focus on Black lives is a way of acknowledging that anti-Black racism is particularly prevalent in our country and community, both historically and presently. Anti-Black racism is reflected in statistics (for example, disproportionate incarceration rates of and violence against Black people) as well as the lived experience of our community members.
The phrase 'all lives matter' is sometimes used in a well intentioned way, suggesting that all lives should be viewed equally. But the phrase implies that 'all lives already matter,' which actually serves only to further shield the current state of inequality. As a rebuttal to the phrase 'Black lives matter', it serves to weaken and suppress the voice of Black people challenging the status quo. 'All lives matter' silences the Black community's unique suffering, which can be viewed as uncaring and inappropriate at this moment when there is huge, profound pain.
As explained on the BLM website: "We acknowledge, respect, and celebrate differences and commonalities. We work vigorously for freedom and justice for Black people and, by extension, all people. We intentionally build and nurture a beloved community that is bonded together through a beautiful struggle that is restorative, not depleting. We are unapologetically Black in our positioning. In affirming that Black Lives Matter, we need not qualify our position. To love and desire freedom and justice for ourselves is a prerequisite for wanting the same for others."
Hence, by supporting Black Lives Matter, the town of Waterbury is saying that nobody is free until we are all free. WARC considers "Black Lives Matter" to be a rallying cry for anti-racist efforts and the ultimate goal that every person fully experience freedom, belonging, and love throughout our community.
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Medicare InformationOct 16, 2024, 12 to 3 PM