CUAV’s response to increased police violence and anti-black racism

This pandemic has simply revealed all that we’ve known to be true about a country built from the descendants of African ancestry. Black bodies have been a place of unfathomable violence of all kinds.

Our Black staff and participants are emotionally, physically and spiritually exhausted having to constantly experience the realities of systemic violence and police terrorism. We know that “Black Lives Matter” means honoring the whole humanity of divine black people which includes those who are criminalized survivors, queer and trans sex workers, incarcerated, poor, disabled, facing homelessness, neuroatypical, elders, living beyond U.S., youth and everyone else in between trying to survive ….. with melanin glowing like the sun came down to kiss each one personally.

Entering Pride month, we are holding the grief, rage and exhaustion of our black queer, trans and gender non-conforming family. Sadly, Tony McDade is one of many Black Trans loved ones killed by law enforcement that we will never forget. Even in the midst of all these protests, a Black trans woman named Iyanna Dior was physically attacked as well. We cannot be liberated without the centering and safety of our Black trans family. It is just as important to deal with interpersonal violence as it is to deal with state violence.

We continue to uplift Stonewall riots started by a Black Trans woman named Marsha P. Johnson whose acts of resistance reverberates and motivates us today. We know that “peaceful protests” are not the only strategy to get us free. We stand firmly with Black lives that are doing what needs to be done for change towards an equitable and liberated future.

The anti-violence movement has historically used law enforcement as the solution for our communities. CUAV was founded knowing that within community is where we can create safety and build power. Law enforcement was never designed to protect and serve Black people. We encourage you to let this pain and heartache radicalize you-- educate yourself on abolition of the prison industrial complex and lean into systems of care that are life-affirming, sustainable, and transformative.

Historically, our communities have used an abundance of strategies to respond to violence, alternatives to policing, and to care for one another. Healing justice has always been at the core. There are existing models that we encourage you to research, explore, and create for your respective communities.

As a team of Black and Latinx queer and trans people, we know that “black & brown unity” isn’t just a cute trend. This is a lifetime commitment that we humbly admit has not been an easy road. Yet, this is a loud call from the ancestors to build real solidarity to end anti-black racism. Collective liberation means the end of interpersonal and state violence while offering an opportunity to heal and dream with our people.