We hope this Statement will guide us to learn and work more effectively on our anti-racism agenda.
White supremacy is pervasive.
We strive to address it directly and as it intertwines with all the other issues we work on, such as assuring democracy and voting rights and social and environmental justice.
INDIVISIBLE TACOMA ANTI-RACIST
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
(Adapted from Colorado Indivisible)
Indivisible Tacoma Mission Statement
Indivisible Tacoma is a volunteer organization with a mission to elect progressive leaders and advocate for progressive legislation. We defend democracy, support universal healthcare and humane immigration policies, and promote social, racial, economic & environmental justice through a lens of equity for all communities.
ANTI-RACIST STATEMENT
Indivisible Tacoma is committed to advancing anti-racist policies and actions through everything we do. We cannot stop until every person in this country is treated equitably and humanely, in every system, and throughout our culture.
In order to implement our Guiding Principles, we commit to treat everyone with respect, to be open to feedback and opportunities to collaborate, to self-reflect and to be responsible for our words and actions.
HARM REDUCTION:
Experiencing racism causes profound harm: psychological, physiological, social, political, economic, and environmental harm.
We will find the solution that results in the least harm to Indivisible members, the community, and marginalized peoples. We commit to finding solutions that amplify anti-oppression and justice.
ACCOUNTABILITY:
We have a collective responsibility and duty to eliminate racism. We commit to challenging racist policies, procedures, communication, assumptions, and bias in individuals and society, including in our Indivisible groups.
We will endeavor to take action and follow through when we recognize racism or are asked to intervene in racism.
ADVOCACY:
Racist policies, structures and systems harm millions of people in the U.S. every year, and have harmed millions in the past.
White people have been largely responsible for institutionalizing racism. Thus this group must take responsibility for institutionalizing its opposite, anti-racism.
We commit to advocating against racist policies, structures and systems, as well as against their representatives, agents, and enablers.
We will ensure our work is inclusive, sustaining and informed by our partners, to achieve justice.
We will promote talking points, position papers, legislation and other tools to arm Indivisible groups with knowledge to make change.
We will support and vote for progressive candidates of color who advance equitable and progressive values.
EMPATHY:
All people dehumanized by racism are worthy of respect, caring, compassion, dignity, humanity, and are as complex, valuable, and worthy as people not targeted by racism.
We will build courageous relationships with those who are directly impacted by racism, and to center their needs and concerns around ending racism.
INTEGRITY:
The truth matters, and understanding our history and our reality, matters.
We are truthful, grounded in facts and data about the brutal reality of racism.
We are anti-racist even when inconvenient, uncomfortable and disadvantageous.
We will consistently utilize an anti-racist lens in our words and actions as individuals as well as Indivisible members in all places.
DEEP LEARNING FOR TRANSFORMATION:
Understanding racism and oppression is a long journey. Learning to act against racism and oppression is a skill. When we know better, we do better. Transformative change re-quires taking risks, which may result in mistakes that should be acknowledged and corrected.
We commit to continuous learning about how to be effective anti-racists to make lasting changes in ourselves and others.
We will provide training and other opportunities that encourage self-reflection and individual meaningful change, as informed by our community partners.
We will commit to obtain skills and core competencies to be better anti-racists.
We will work to provide brave spaces to learn and be challenged, and for Black, Indigenous, Asian, Latinx, and other peoples of color to share their truths and expertise as individuals and communities.
