BLACK LIVES MATTER. PERIOD. Statement of Solidarity with Black Lives Matter

Statement of Solidarity with Black Lives Matter

Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision came into existence about 26 years ago when residents, environmental groups, and the business community came together around the need to address the inordinate amount of pollution that we saw in our neighborhoods. The effects that racial inequality and environmental racism had on our health and the health of our neighbors was clear. 

In 2018, the team at SDEV began intentionally looking inward at our own operation to identify unconscious bias or other harmful practices. In 2020, we are pursuing diversity and inclusion training as well as conflict and tension training so that we can transfer these tools to the young people ,mostly of color, who come through our doors every year in preparation for the systemic racism and white supremacy that they would inevitably face as they would enter the world of work. 

With this in mind, we would like to state our solidarity with Black People across our beautiful city of Detroit and across our resilient country. We hope to be an ally in the ways that we can. We look for conversation and instruction on what we can do around policing policy and any other policy or support that we can lend. We are proud of the Detroiters and across the country who have marched, spoken, and demanded Justice for Mr. Floyd and who are demanding systemic change for future generations. Systemic change requires that all of us do our part on a daily or weekly basis and cultivate ideas and language so that we can stay vigilant and engaged in dismantling racism. For ideas, we recommend this reading list.