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The murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and George Floyd have sparked nation-wide protests in response to the systematic and institutionalized racism that plagues our nation. It is undeniable that we have benefited from our status as a primarily non-Black and affluent town and school district, thus imperative that we speak up in the face of racial injustice and anti-Blackness. Therefore, I call upon our community to pool our resources in order to give back to and support the Black community. Real, sweeping, structural change is only possible when those who are impacted the least care as much as those who are impacted the most, and the recent events have highlighted the necessity for us to weaponize our privilege.
The Piedmont Unified School District, the primary draw of our town and unifying force of our community, released a statement from the Board of Education in response to race motivated justice in which they reiterated that “our educational community stands for equity, justice, dignity, respect, and empathy.” It is time we act on these values, acknowledging that the ability to stay silent stems from immense privilege, and we must instead capitalize on the capacity it allows us to enact change.
While monetary donations represent only one of many means of fighting for justice, and can not serve as a replacement for working to educate ourselves, challenge our prejudices and take other actions towards justice (contacting representatives, signing petitions, etc), it is a tangible step we can take collectively as a community. Consequently, as a Piedmont High School alumnus and Piedmont community member, I have created this “Piedmont for Black Lives Matter” GoFundMe campaign in order to collect donations for three Bay Area organizations dedicated to the fight for racial justice.
Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce (OAACC)
The OAACC Foundation is an Oakland-based 510(c)(3) non-profit, dedicated to promoting economic prosperity and quality of life for the African American community. Through research, partnerships and events focused on education, workforce development and community wellness, the OAACC works to link industry and education, ensuring that Oakland students have access to both a quality education and relevant job-training.
In light of both the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent looting (largely out-of-state and completely unrelated to peaceful protests), Black-owned small businesses in Oakland have been hit hard. In order to combat this and based on expressed need, the OAACC has launched a Resiliency Relief Program offering interest-free grant relief for local small Black businesses left out of federal funding.
For more information: https://oaacc.org/
NAACP Oakland Branch
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the oldest and largest existing civil right organization in the country. From the ballot box to the classroom, thousands of dedicated workers, organizers, leaders, and members of the NAACP continue to fight for social, political, educational and economic justice for all Americans, and the Oakland branch focuses on local injustices.
For more information:https://oaklandnaacp.org/
Northern California ACLU
The American Civil Liberties Union works to protect and advance civil liberties guaranteed to all Americans by the Constitution. Working daily in courts, legislatures, and communities, the ACLU has been a long-time advocate for racial justice in Northern California and beyond.
For more information: https://www.aclunc.org/home
The raised fund will be allocated in the following manner: 50% for OAACC, 25% for NAACP Oakland Branch and 25% Northern California ACLU.
I have set the fundraising goal at $5000, however I am confident in our ability as a community to rally together and surpass this goal. To this end, please share this fundraiser and its associated message with friends, family and fellow community members. I believe that the Piedmont Community has the agency to take a tangible step towards change, fighting together for racial justice. Please donate by Friday, June 12 to join this week-long fundraising campaign. #BlackLivesMatter
Further Action:
Our country has been built on systemic racism. Piedmont is a privileged community that has benefited from this system.
As a reflection that Piedmont must take long-term action to solve issues that deeply affect our community, Piedmont students have created the Piedmont donation hub website, launching on Wednesday, June 10th. This website is a place for Piedmont to donate and hold each other accountable as a community, get resources, and contribute to a cause that benefits Oakland directly for weeks, months, and even years to come.
The murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and George Floyd have sparked nation-wide protests in response to the systematic and institutionalized racism that plagues our nation. It is undeniable that we have benefited from our status as a primarily non-Black and affluent town and school district, thus imperative that we speak up in the face of racial injustice and anti-Blackness. Therefore, I call upon our community to pool our resources in order to give back to and support the Black community. Real, sweeping, structural change is only possible when those who are impacted the least care as much as those who are impacted the most, and the recent events have highlighted the necessity for us to weaponize our privilege.
The Piedmont Unified School District, the primary draw of our town and unifying force of our community, released a statement from the Board of Education in response to race motivated justice in which they reiterated that “our educational community stands for equity, justice, dignity, respect, and empathy.” It is time we act on these values, acknowledging that the ability to stay silent stems from immense privilege, and we must instead capitalize on the capacity it allows us to enact change.
While monetary donations represent only one of many means of fighting for justice, and can not serve as a replacement for working to educate ourselves, challenge our prejudices and take other actions towards justice (contacting representatives, signing petitions, etc), it is a tangible step we can take collectively as a community. Consequently, as a Piedmont High School alumnus and Piedmont community member, I have created this “Piedmont for Black Lives Matter” GoFundMe campaign in order to collect donations for three Bay Area organizations dedicated to the fight for racial justice.
Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce (OAACC)
The OAACC Foundation is an Oakland-based 510(c)(3) non-profit, dedicated to promoting economic prosperity and quality of life for the African American community. Through research, partnerships and events focused on education, workforce development and community wellness, the OAACC works to link industry and education, ensuring that Oakland students have access to both a quality education and relevant job-training.
In light of both the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent looting (largely out-of-state and completely unrelated to peaceful protests), Black-owned small businesses in Oakland have been hit hard. In order to combat this and based on expressed need, the OAACC has launched a Resiliency Relief Program offering interest-free grant relief for local small Black businesses left out of federal funding.
For more information: https://oaacc.org/
NAACP Oakland Branch
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the oldest and largest existing civil right organization in the country. From the ballot box to the classroom, thousands of dedicated workers, organizers, leaders, and members of the NAACP continue to fight for social, political, educational and economic justice for all Americans, and the Oakland branch focuses on local injustices.
For more information:https://oaklandnaacp.org/
Northern California ACLU
The American Civil Liberties Union works to protect and advance civil liberties guaranteed to all Americans by the Constitution. Working daily in courts, legislatures, and communities, the ACLU has been a long-time advocate for racial justice in Northern California and beyond.
For more information: https://www.aclunc.org/home
The raised fund will be allocated in the following manner: 50% for OAACC, 25% for NAACP Oakland Branch and 25% Northern California ACLU.
I have set the fundraising goal at $5000, however I am confident in our ability as a community to rally together and surpass this goal. To this end, please share this fundraiser and its associated message with friends, family and fellow community members. I believe that the Piedmont Community has the agency to take a tangible step towards change, fighting together for racial justice. Please donate by Friday, June 12 to join this week-long fundraising campaign. #BlackLivesMatter
Further Action:
Our country has been built on systemic racism. Piedmont is a privileged community that has benefited from this system.
As a reflection that Piedmont must take long-term action to solve issues that deeply affect our community, Piedmont students have created the Piedmont donation hub website, launching on Wednesday, June 10th. This website is a place for Piedmont to donate and hold each other accountable as a community, get resources, and contribute to a cause that benefits Oakland directly for weeks, months, and even years to come.