Silence Is Not An Option: We Must Speak Out Against the Violence Targeted To the Asian American Community

Silence Is Not An Option:

We Must Speak Out Against the Violence Targeted To the Asian American Community

Sandra J. Evers-Manly, President

Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center, Los Angeles, CA

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dear family and friends:

I write to you today with a deep sense of sorrow, empathy, and urgency. One that is filled with a too familiar frustration that many of us in this country continue to find ourselves.  The place where we who are of believers in unity are never silent in our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our right to a society that promotes the standards of human decency, that disrupts racism, sexism, homophobia, violence and all forms of discrimination, bigotry and prejudice; replacing them with inclusion and a culture of diversity that encourage sisterhood and brotherhood for all.

Yet today, we hurt, we cry and are saddened at the senseless and cowardly acts of violence against the Asian American community. An attack on one is an attack on all.  We cannot remain silent. We must stand and be vigilant against the rising tide of violence strategically aimed at our Asian American brothers and sisters.

Since the beginning of the pandemic more than 3000 verbal and physical attacks have happened.  This has occurred largely in the shadows until now.  However, the attacks are becoming more blatant and frequent and now against the elderly.  BUT NO MORE! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.  The violence happening against the Asian American communities across this nation is wrong and must stop.  We cannot be silent and must raise our voices against this injustice. 

Unfortunately, as African Americans we have a long history and deep understanding about the impact of violence, abuse, and injustice.  Both verbal and physical.  The generational and organizational impact of such sustained campaigns are still being dealt with to this day.  As a human rights issue, NO ONE should ever be terrorized in their daily life, especially in their home country.

“Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.”—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I implore us to raise our voices and not remain silent.  As a community we are all interrelated.  What impacts one impacts the other.  Whether it is Los Angeles or New York.  As Dr. King noted,

“We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

We can never afford to be silent. We must join in each other’s fight for justice. Just as others joined in the demonstrations for the senseless and unjust killings of those like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and so many others, as well as the ongoing police violence, we have seen in the African American Community; we must come together and take our stand in solidarity with the Asian American Community collectively and visibly.  We must demand an end to this violence in all our institutions and at the highest levels of government in our country.

We must stop the violence, stop the hate, share the love and respect.

SILENCE IS NOT AN OPTION!