Dear Fulcrum Family,
Over the past year, we have seen a rise in racism and violence against Asian American communities throughout the U.S. On March 16, 2021, eight people were murdered in a series of shootings in Georgia. Six of the victims were Asian women. They had names. They had families. They had lives.
We join many others around the world in offering our deepest thoughts and prayers to the families who have lost loved ones in this horrific act of violence.
But we must be clear: thoughts and prayers are not enough. As Americans and as Catholics, we are called to oppose hatred, racism, and discrimination in all its forms. We must stand with our brothers and sisters in the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and help seek an end to the systems of oppression that enable such violence in our country.
At the Fulcrum Foundation, we acknowledge that education plays an important role in addressing and overcoming systemic issues across our nation. We will continue to support Catholic education and actively seek ways to improve diversity, nurture cultural understanding, and dismantle racist and oppressive structures in our society.
As we grieve for those we have lost, let us come together as Catholics to love and protect our brothers and sisters in the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Speak out against hatred, fight back against racism, and let it be known that violence and aggression will not stand. It is time to live our faith and be a light for others to follow.
In love and solidarity,
Vivian K. Shannon
Executive Director, Fulcrum Foundation