Social Justice
Standing Together Against Hate
A Statement on Anti-Asian Violence from the
Heart and Soul Cultural Competency Committee
Our hearts are breaking.
We are frightened and shocked and outraged by the recent spate of violent and unprovoked racist attacks against Asian Americans. Lives have been lost, elders have been grievously injured, businesses and churches have been burglarized and vandalized. Individuals have been spat on, coughed at, physically assaulted, and bullied with threats and racial slurs. We mourn the loss of lives and condemn these acts of violence.
Heart and Soul staff members, peer participants, friends, and communities are living with the daily fear that they might be the next victim. They are feeling targeted, exposed, and vulnerable. We are saddened, and feel compelled to speak out in solidarity with the Asian American community.
Racial equity, social justice, and inclusion are key values of Heart and Soul.
Heart and Soul as a mental health agency takes seriously our role as an advocate to speak out against, and to educate the community about, individual and systemic prejudice and injustice. It is incumbent upon us to speak up for those who are impacted by it, and to demand change.
Racism thrives when oppressed communities are pitted against one another. Therefore, we reject any narrative that blames other people of color for anti-Asian racism. We reject arguments that use attacks on people of Asian ancestry to justify increased policing, state surveillance, and other actions that serve to further oppress communities of color. Instead, we embrace mutual aid and support for Black, Indigenous, People of Color and other marginalized communities. We embrace anti-racist solidarity because allyship and solidarity provide the most effective tools to dismantle all forms of racism and racial hatred.
Heart and Soul urges everyone troubled by recent events to channel anger into action and fear into understanding. It is time our elected leaders, schools and universities, unions and labor groups, industries and corporations, religious institutions and civic organizations do the same. We are all in this together, and unity – not division – is the only path to safety and peace for all.
As a mental health agency, we are aware of the traumatic effects, such as anxiety and PTSD, that can be triggered by these current events. We encourage peaceful protest and dialogue in a restorative way. Heart and Soul provides groups over Zoom where participants can talk about their feelings and emotions around the issues. Please see our website http://www.heartandsoulinc.org for information about virtual groups.
If you want to talk, call the Heart and Soul Peer Warm Line at (650) 231-2024.
One-on-one support is available 24/7.
If you are a victim of Anti-Asian hate and/or incidents:
You should call 911 if:
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You are in immediate danger or in a life threatening situation
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You fear for your personal safety or the safety of others
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Someone is injured or experiencing a medical emergency
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There is a fire
Please contact and report it to one of these organizations dedicated to assisting victims:
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OCA Asian Pacific American Advocates Hate Incident Reporting: www.aapihatecrimes.org
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Asian Americans Advancing Justice's Stand Against Hatred: standagainsthatred.org
If you witness an anti-Asian incident here are some things you can do:
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Call 911
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Take action. Go to the targeted person and offer support.
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Actively listen. Before you do anything, ask – and then respect the targeted person's response. If need be, keep an eye on the situation.
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Ignore attacker. Try using your voice, body language or distractions to de-escalate the situation (though use your judgment and protect your personal safety).
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If it is safe to do so, document the incident with your cellphone camera.
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Accompany. Ask the targeted person to leave with you if whatever is going on escalates.
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Offer emotional support. Find out how the targeted person is feeling and help them determine what to do next.
How to be an ally:
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A good place to begin is for AAPIs and their allies to acknowledge anti-Asian racism in the first place.
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Reach out to your Asian friends and colleagues – but don't ask them to educate you.
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Anti-Asian racism, like any form of racism, isn't new. Learn about the history of and present day anti-Asian racism in the U.S.
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Give space for impacted individuals to process trauma, grieve, and heal.
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Make a long-term commitment to being anti-racist. Get engaged for the long haul, not just in this moment of crisis.
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Donate to AAPI causes and businesses. This list from New York magazine shares more than 60 ways to donate in support of Asian communities:
Where-to-donate-to-help-asian-communities
#StopAsianHate
Black Lives Matter
A Message from the CEO, Board,
and Staff of Heart & Soul
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:
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Say Her Name: The Life And Death Of Sandra Bland
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Time: The Kalief Browder Story
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When They See Us
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13th
In Solidarity,
Cardum Harmon, Heart and Soul, Inc., CEO
Heart and Soul, Inc. Board
Heart and Soul, Inc. Staff
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Heart & Soul
Cultural Competency
Committee
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The Cultural Competency Committee strives to celebrate our differences and bring various communities together in their uniqueness so that all voices may and will be heard.
Mission Statement
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To create equal opportunity for each person who enters
our doors
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To identify areas of need and underserved within our community
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To strengthen our diversity
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To welcome each individual identity and cultural background
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To promote the ideal to let people rise and succeed for who they already are​​​
About Us
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The Cultural Competency Committee was formed by the employees of Heart and Soul. We meet weekly on Friday mornings at 9:30 AM to discuss matters of cultural inclusion and pertinent current events. While the Committee currently consists of only staff members, we welcome and encourage community participation. If interested in joining, please contact Amaal Greenwood-Goodwin by phone at (650) 232-7426 or by email at amaalgg@heartandsoulinc.org. We look forward to hearing from you as we continue our work in community engagement for the adherence and preservation of social justice.
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Resources
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Websites:
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The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of minorities.
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The official #BlackLivesMatter Global Network builds power to bring justice, healing, and freedom to Black people across the globe.
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The mission of Instituto Familiar de la Raza (IFR) is to promote and enhance the health and well-being of Chicanos/Latinos and multicultural/multiracial youth.
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A Recovery Community Organization operating California DHCS State licensed and Drug Medi-Cal certified residential and outpatient facilities in San Mateo.
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Voices of Recovery San Mateo County. Peer-led organization supports recovery. Voices of Recovery San Mateo County (VORSMC) is a nonprofit (501 c3) peer-led organization that was established in 2010, with the purpose of advocating for and supporting the recovery community, people overcoming drug and/or alcohol.
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California Clubhouse is a social and vocational rehabilitation program in San Mateo County for individuals living with a mental illness.
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Dedicated to improving the quality of life for people in the San Francisco Bay Area with mental illness through support, education, and advocacy.
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CORA is the only agency in San Mateo County solely dedicated to helping those affected by domestic violence. From counseling, to emergency housing, to legal services.
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Legal Aid fights social injustice through civil legal advocacy and helps low-income clients with civil legal issues.
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San Mateo County Pride Center. Born of the struggles and triumphs of the LGBTQ+ community over the years, the San Mateo County Pride Center is the first ever community center for LGBTQ+
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Books:
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Black Like Me – John Howard Griffin
Why We Can’t Wait – Martin Luther King, Jr.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings – Maya Angelou
Warrior Woman: Memoirs of a Girlhood Amongst Ghosts – Maxine Hong Kingston
Woman Hollering Creek – Sandra Cisneros
When They Call you a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matters Memoir – Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele
So You Want to Talk About Race – Ijeoma Oluo
The Complete Poetry – Maya Angelou
Fire in the Heart: How White Activists Embrace Racial Justice – Mark R Warren
Dry Bones Rattling: Community Building to Revitalize American Democracy – Mark R Warren
Smile as They Bow – Nu Nu Yi
My Walk to Equality: Essays, Stories, and Poetry – edited by Rashmii Amoah
Movies:
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In the Heat of the Night 1967
Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland
Time: The Kalief Browder Story
When They See US
13th
California Association of Mental Health Peer Run Organizations
Grow & Sustain Webinar
"Community Builds Immunity"
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Presented by
Cardum Harmon, CEO at Heart & Soul
September 17, 2020
Building Beloved Community Through Restorative Practices
Learning Objectives:
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Participants will gain a clearer understanding of the impact trauma has on BIPOC communities
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Participants will learn best practices for inclusion and engagement of diverse groups in services​
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Participants will identify ways to cultivate allyship in their respective communities
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Click on this button to view the video of the Webinar:
