At this important moment, between a space of optimistic resistance and defiance, the problems of race and racism in the United States have become so abundant that ignoring them would defeat the purpose of Gamma Zeta Alpha Inc. relegating it to be voiceless and align it with the silence that racial injustices face. The recent incidents in Baton Rouge and Minnesota require that we speak up. Each moment of hopelessness, of another mother and father’s eyes filled with tears, of another daughter or son taken away from a chance at living a full life, exemplifies our country’s deeply rooted manifestations of racism brutally inflicted on African-Americans in this country.
In the struggle to stop the racial injustices in the world, we offer our organization to our members and community at large as a means to have open conversations about the issues affecting our students and society. However, too often the void of safety and the disruption of dignity in these conversations can mark them as sites furthering racialized oppressions. In this light, we call upon our peers to help us in creating safe spaces to help as opposed to harm, to transform our world and raise awareness of the crisis of racial injustice.We call upon our brothers and contemporaries to commit time to studying disturbing narratives. As an organization, we are committed to evolving and learning new ways to learn on how we can help and support without stifling progress. At the same time, we must pursue meaningful opportunities for all stakeholders to build their capacities for education, deeper compassion, elevated empathies, and greater acceptance.
We seek to create intentional space, locating itself in a paradigm of moral accountability as opposed to anonymity. This space is created to tap into new potentials of social justice for all of our membership and community alike, discussing similar narratives, and drawing together an image of who we will become together. This space will allow us as a community to be empowered to advocate and become allies of causes that affect groups in an extremely adverse manner. It must move beyond the surface concerns of Greek unity and scholarship, a place that drives us to think of the incomparable and magnificent things such as the hopeful possibilities of a world that renders racial oppression as archaic.
We must make strides as educated human beings with access to resources to give back to our immediate groups of influence. We must move forward with compassion and help the suppressed voices become heard. The statement that has become pervasive in our society and social media, looking to assert what should be obvious: Black lives matter. As an educational organization committed leadership and support, we take seriously our obligation to ensure racial justice. We remain unwavering in our efforts to use, create and promote knowledge that is essential to eliminating racism in the US and beyond.