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Your

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peer support center!

We at Heart and Soul are saddened and feel compelled to speak out...

As an African American CEO of a mental health agency, I stand in solidarity with those who are demonstrating for peace and systems change. Historical and present day trauma has impacted the lives of African Americans and Black people all around the world for centuries. These atrocities are now coming to the forefront of public awareness. For the loss of lives, I grieve. For their families and friends, I grieve. For the contributions to society these men and women of color will never have a chance to make to their communities and the world, I grieve. For those caught in the crossfire of tear gas and batons, I grieve. For those Black people incarcerated disproportionately to their White counterparts, I grieve.

Black Lives Matter.

As a society, we must do more than pay lip service to this idea;

we must demonstrate through our actions that we believe it.

The wrongful deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many, many others at the hands and knees of law enforcement, show that we have a very long way to go. The disparities in housing, healthcare and education that so many Black and Brown children grow up in, that so many families are trapped in, are a testament to a great injustice in this country which has persisted through the centuries and severely damaged and destroyed the lives of countless millions. We stand united with the Black community and global communities who are protesting and speaking out.

We, the board members of Heart and Soul, are committed to working toward a society which is kind and just, extends a hand to all in need, and does its utmost to right the wrongs of its past. We have much work to do. As products of our society, we know that many of us may not be fully attuned to all the ways that society has failed people of color, nor how best to begin to address this. As a group we know that we need to have the humility to listen and learn from those who have borne the brunt of these injustices, and play our appropriate roles as advocates and allies.

As board members of an organization whose purpose is to empower others, and often others who have experienced prejudice and injustice because they don’t fit perceived societal norms, we have a special duty to speak out against these injustices and to support those who are leading the effort to make our society more equitable. Further, we have a duty to shape our organization as an active force for building such a society. This includes ensuring that our practices in recruiting board members and staff, governance of the organization, and our interactions with other board members, staff, the people we serve and the community at large are models of justice and inclusion. We intend to develop a plan for specific, meaningful activities to put these words into action, and commit to publishing this plan so we can be held to account.

We must support Heart and Soul in its role as advocate to speak out against and educate the community

about individual and systemic prejudice and injustice, speak up for those who are impacted by it, and demand change.

...For the solidarity of a global community, today we celebrate.

As Peer Supporters of mental wellness and the Cultural Competency Committee of Heart and Soul, we understand the anger, frustration, grief and people’s reactions. As a mental health agency, we are aware of the effects, such as anxiety and PTSD, that can be triggered by the current events. We encourage peaceful protest and dialogue in a restorative way. Heart and Soul continues to provide groups over Zoom where participants can talk about their feelings and emotions around the issues. If you want to talk, call the Heart and Soul Peer Warm Line at (650)231-2024 that can be accessed nearly 24/7 for support. Please see our website https://www.heartandsoulinc.org/total-wellness-club for information about virtual groups.

Here is an additional resource for Black people dealing with stress:

https://www.self.com/story/black-mental-health-resources

For our allies who would like to engage in the practice of cultural humility by learning more about the Black experience in America as it relates to the justice system and the impact of police brutality, please watch these films, available on Netflix:

Say Her Name: The Life And Death Of Sandra Bland
Time: The Kalief Browder Story
When They See Us
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