In Solidarity…We Remain Standing!
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Not quite a year ago, we found ourselves mourning the tragedies and lives lost in Black and Latino communities due to continued racism and injustices. Sadly, today we are again mourning the tragic loss of lives and acts of violence in our country. In the past week, we have seen two mass shootings take the lives of innocent people. And if that wasn’t terrible enough, one of these acts was specifically targeted against another community of color. Over the past year, Asian communities have endured unprecedented violence and hatred, which was most recently highlighted by the Atlanta mass killing of eight innocent people, six who were Asian women.
This violence and these tragedies hit very close to home for us because the majority of the students we serve identify as persons of color, and nearly 20% of them are Asian. The increased levels of racism, hate, and violence against Asian communities puts each of them and their families at risk of danger, leaving them to feel unsafe and afraid. We extend our condolences to those families that have been impacted by these vicious acts and…
We stand in solidarity with the Asian community and all those across the world demanding justice and change. These acts of hatred and violence must stop!
Chicago Debates exists to bridge the educational opportunity gap, which persists as a result of hundreds of years of systemic racism. We are helping to create the change needed in our world by cultivating diverse and inclusive thinkers, engaged citizens who desire to make the world better, empathic listeners who value difference and welcome multiple perspectives and lived experiences, and future leaders who understand that hate and division have no place in our world with a belief that we are strongest and best together…as ONE nation.
As an organization, we remain committed to the pursuit of justice for all and helping to combat the structural and systemic inequities in the world. We are equally committed to ensuring that debate is available for CPS students allowing them a platform to use their voices, to be more civically engaged, and to learn about policies and how to change them, while building their leadership skills. These young people will be primed to assume roles of leadership and drive the change that our world so desperately needs. Our work continues to be an investment in our future leaders, our city, and our nation.
