Several friends have commented that they haven’t received a newsletter or a recent episode of my Stairwell Teatro. Have they fallen off my mailing list?
No, dear readers, you remain on my distribution list . . . I have not published anything lately as I’ve been busy learning to use new live streaming software and continuing my education on promoting racial justice by reading books, watching webinars, and engaging in discussions, on and offline.
Every Monday, in my neighborhood, we stand on our street, holding signs showing support for BLM. We’ve been doing it for 42 weeks straight. Many of us could not attend the huge demonstrations that took place around the world protesting the murder of George Floyd. Our way of showing solidarity was by coming together as neighbors. We must not remain silent about group-based hate and violence. As a popular protest sign says: Silence is Violence.
The killings at the spas in the Atlanta area, where six of the eight victims were Asian women, brought back the sadness and rage I felt in the immediate aftermath of the El Paso Walmart Massacre. In August 2019, a white supremacist shot 46 people, killing 23, shattering the lives of so many families. The home-grown terrorist reported killing these people to stop the Hispanic invasion of Texas. His words echoing those of so many elected officials and “media” personalities.
Words matter and the scapegoating and demeaning of Asians that we all witnessed starting with Donald Trump’s words have real consequences on the lives of individuals and our communities. No matter what explanations are offered by the perpetrators of horrific violence the identity of the intended victims, their ethnicity, race, gender reveals the true story.
Blacks, Native Americans, Latinos, AAPI community, people with disabilities, our brothers and sisters In the LGBT community, women, we know what it's like to be demeaned and devalued and to worry about our personal safety and that of our loved ones. This is no time for silence, we must speak up, and do our part to combat destructive forces that are hurting so many. Dr. King’s famous words have such resonance at this moment.
During this past year, while theaters have been closed, I have been presenting online and I especially love engaging with students and teachers. I was pleased to learn several days ago, that anyone can watch my upcoming online presentation which is part of the “Stories Build Bridges” Speaker Series sponsored by the San Ramon Valley Unified School District PTSA. The goal of the series is to promote inclusion, unity, and community through conversations about equity. This online presentation, an excerpt of my one-woman show, will be followed by a discussion with a panel of students.
It’s free, but you need to register, either through this link or the QR Code. The form will ask you which school you're affiliated with, pick either one. You'll then get asked what your role is. Use "community member" option.
Stories Build Bridges Series
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
6:30-8 pm (Pacific)
Join us if you can, and soon, I’ll have a new episode of my Stairwell Teatro.
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