A RESOLUTION DECLARING A COMMITMENT TO ANTI-RACISM

WHEREAS, there is a way forward in healing to bridge gaps in community understanding and reconciliation and that way is anti-racism.

WHEREAS, this is the moment and room we are residing in within history. There is no time but now to stop the wounds of separation and misunderstanding from growing in numbers.The burden and the honor falls upon us to do this antiracism work.

WHEREAS, Antiracism is the active effort of being against racism. There is no neutrality in the racism struggle. One either allows racial inequities to persevere, or confronts racial inequities. The only way to undo racism is to constantly identify and describe it – and then dismantle it.

WHEREAS, we are committed to not being frozen into inaction, but to fluid active healing, firstly by acknowledging racism and the damage it does.

WHEREAS, antiracist healing is not about blame but about healing.

WHEREAS, antiracism asks of us to listen to the actual lived experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in our communities: They enrich and make whole, all of our lived experiences.

WHEREAS, antiracism asks that we are committed to understanding the history of race as a social construct that has meaning to the extent that it creates power over. Thus, to reiterate, we are committed to understanding racism as not only a belief or outward behavior that individuals hold, but as the formula of prejudice combined with power over within institutions to create inequity.

WHEREAS, local BIPOC voices and the empirical evidence are telling us that racism is a problem in north New Jersey, as it is a problem everywhere. Those voices are speaking specifically about the need to focus on listening to those lived experiences to get an accurate picture of the whole story, both historically and contemporarily; about the role racism has played in the shaping of what we know about our collective past and present. We are committed to this whole story approach because inclusion and equity help all of us move towards positive change.

WHEREAS, the extent to which we deny or fail to acknowledge the lived experience, historical context, and empirical evidence of racism, is in direct relative correlation to our need for more learning about racism.

WHEREAS, we know that antiracist work leads to community growth, positive shared outcomes and cultural enrichment (including access to connections in art, music, food, traditions. etc) which helps us realize our personal, county’s, and our country’s greatest potential.

WHEREAS, antiracist healing is not about blame but about healing, and the damage that racism does, does not preclude the necessity for accountability about said racism

WHEREAS, we are committed to healing through the inevitable discomfort and even fear as we shift our understanding and grow, knowing that facing fear and growing is challenging and that we can commit to challenging things because the best parts of ourselves, families, our county, state and nation is the ability to face hardship with grace and commit to supporting each other in the process.

WHEREAS, antiracist work requires continuous deep self looking and an ongoing commitment to it. That commitment is boundless in its potential to bring positivity, peace, beauty and equity to ourselves as individuals, our families, our county, state, country and world. And ultimately this is what we all hope for.

WHEREAS, to commit to antiracism is to commit to hope for the health of everyone.

SIGNED,

Members of the H3AL Network