May 28, 2020

Dear Loved Ones,
Breathe deeply. Again. And again.

These times are extraordinarily tough. Our losses are overwhelming and so too our suffering and pain. We know that people of color are inequitably affected by these losses and hurt – globally, nationally, and in our First Parish community. For some of us, including our minister Rev. Adam Lawrence Dyer and our building manager Roland Ellies, the pain is deeply personal. We care about you. We love you. You belong here.

If you are a person of color at First Parish and searching for support and community, our People of Color caucus meets Sundays every two weeks at 1 p.m.  Anyone who identifies as a person of color is welcome, even if you have not joined us before. We recognize that we are all individuals with different backgrounds and experiences, and yet we share the reality of living in a polarized society where we are targeted based on our racial identities. Join us at our next meeting this coming Sunday, May 31, or contact Karin Lin (kslnet@yahoo.com) if you’d like more information.

Testifying yesterday at a Congressional hearing on “The Disproportionate Impact of COVID-19 on Communities of Color,” African American historian Ibram Kendi said, there is “a racial pandemic within the viral pandemic.”

We know that this racial pandemic threatens life and breath…
— on a ventilator…rest in peace the many,
— off a ventilator without access to health care…rest in peace the many,
— by the gunshots of white vigilantes…rest in peace Ahmaud Arbery,
— by anti-Asian hate speech and assaults,
— by the bent knee of a white police officer on a Black man’s neck…rest in peace George Floyd,
— by disrespect for Tribal sovereignty,
— by the accusations of a white woman about a birdwatching African American man,
— by “essential” low wage work that is not essentially protected with PPE,
— by immigration policies that threaten deportation,
— by high cost housing that leads to crowded housing and homelessness…..

Breathe deeply. Again. And again.

We care about you. We love you. You belong here.

We (re)commit to working toward ending racism and intersecting oppressions.

With love and care,

Charlene Galarneau and Karin Lin for the Racial Equity Team
Rosalie Anders and Marcia Hams for the Social Justice Council