SOLIDARITY STATEMENT FOR THE MOVEMENT FOR BLACK LIVES

“This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear.”
—Toni Morrison

Dear Community Members,

Our organization and staff members support the movement for Black lives and stand in solidarity with the African-, Black-, and Carribean-identified communities. We seek to support, amplify, and uplift Black voices. We support the Black Student Union and their “May 2021 Unrelenting Anti-Blackness of 2020” demands. We denounce the UCSC administration’s complete lack of acknowledgement of such demands. Their unwillingness to take real action on this campus is inexcusable. We resist the historical and current racist ideology that saturates our culture. We honor the Black individuals who have lost their lives at the hands of the police, and will continue to say their names and remember their legacy. Visit https://sayevery.name/ for a list that honors Black people who have been killed by the police and civilians in the U.S.

We seek to fight against systemic anti-Black racism and oppression both individually and as an organization. Racism and the systems that perpetuate it, such as the prison industrial complex and the police, must be abolished. Matchbox is committed to providing a safe and inclusive space for Black individuals. We seek to amplify Black student voices across the UC system, as well as publicize art and media created by Black artists. We urge our readers to visit our website for a list of links to resources, donation sites, and education sources. We are dedicated to continuing conversations, amplifying Black voices, and using our platform to discuss the ways that the current structures in place—like media—can be adapted to support justice and radical change.

Anti-racism is a practice that requires concrete action in addition to conversations and we unwaveringly move to support the BIPOC communities as well as our commitment to our own continued education and movements to celebrate Black artists and community members in any way possible.

In solidarity,
Matchbox Staff

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RESOURCES:
http://criticalresistance.org/resources/
https://www.antipoliceterrorproject.org/resources
Show Up for Black Liberation and Racial Justice
Anti-Racist and Criminal Justice Reform Resources
https://www.theokraproject.com/resources-1


DONATE:
https://linktr.ee/showupnow
https://www.antipoliceterrorproject.org/donate
https://www.theokraproject.com/sponsors-donors-1