Frances “For the entirety of our Nation's existence, from our vaunted Founding to our present, we have both legally and illegally discriminated against people of color, most egregiously against those of African-descent. There is not one aspect of our current society that does not reflect this fact.  I will not rest until the national narrative around this injustice has once and for all changed and more importantly, until we institute a policy of national reparations to repair these injustices that have led to vast inequality between Black and White in our Nation. It is duly un-American to continue to ask African-Americans to solely bear the historical brunt force trauma of their enslavement, the Black Codes and Jim Crow. It is long overdue for White Americans to claim this tragic, violent history and its present impact by showing our support-monetarily, emotionally, physically and mentally- for the Black community.  Only when we as a Nation right these old wrongs, can we truly claim "Liberty and Justice for All”.”

Yvonne “It is widely noted that Asian American Pacific Islanders face a “twin pandemic;” while our nation emerges from the darkest grips of COVID-19, the racist assault on my community continues to spread and mutate this virus of hate. When national media reported the COVID-19 virus originated in Wuhan, China, I braced myself, as I had in every other period of my life, for the racism, scapegoating and foreigner labeling that would inevitably ensue. I grew up outside New York City in the 1980s, a time when our nation was fraught with anti-Japanese sentiment. Being heckled as a “Jap '' was commonplace, as was people slanting their eyes and bucking their teeth at me. I grew up knowing the lethal consequences of showing up unannounced with a face like mine. In 1992, Yoshihiro Hattori, a Japanese exchange student was gunned to death in Baton Rouge, Louisiana for knocking on the wrong house for a Halloween party. My sons know not to sneak up on people, even neighbors, because Yoshi’s death casts a long shadow. Forty years later, “Jap” is swapped with “Chink” as to mark the emergence of a new enemy.”

Koyote “I see my skin whiter than a native. I know that this color was raped into my El Salvadorian ancestors. But I know that I also have in me, the gene of the of the invader, the one that came here to conquer, and oppress. This mestizo population, this mixed race of poor, were third class citizens at one point. You had the European Spanish; they were the top of the food chain. Then there were the White Spanish who were born in this land. And then you had the Indians and the Blacks who were brought from Africa as slaves. They had no rights at all. In between there were the Mestizos, the children of this encounter between the three races…I am those things. I am the forgetfulness of my people. I am the oppressor and the oppressed. I am the history that remains untold. I am not a simple mix of races. I am not even my tradition or my traditions were imposed on my ancestors. I am the forgotten things. I am my PTSD and rage. I am my love and poetry. I am everything that has been done to me and mine. I'm a palimpsest.”

Jennifer “When I initially became a therapist, I worked for an agency where clients were assigned. I remember the many times walking out into the lobby to meet my new client and seeing the look of shock/disappointment when they realized I was their therapist. Those initial sessions usually began with clients wanting to discuss my qualifications. One client could not move passed the fact that I was Black and asked for a White therapist. Her statement stayed with me, “did they not think I was good enough for a White therapist?” I have had to prove to potential clients that my credentials are valid, my experience is valid, and I am valid. Often times I have the most education in the room due to working twice as hard to get into spaces that would otherwise be closed to me. I still have to prove to some clients that I am good or smart enough. I’ve heard statements like “you’re different than a lot of African Americans” which is often a question of my blackness. In professional settings with my non-black colleagues, there is generally no acknowledgement that my experience as a Black therapist is different than their own.”

Joanna “Like many middle-class white people with educated parents I was raised that there’s a certain way that you speak and that indicates your intelligence and your intelligence tells people that you are worthy. And I unconsciously adopted a stance that if you didn’t speak the way I did, you were less intelligent and if you were less intelligent you were less worthy of my consideration. Not only is it wrong morally, it’s just plain wrong to think that people who don’t speak English the way I was raised are less intelligent. Throughout my life I have categorized people and become friends with people who speak the way I do. Eliminating a huge amount of the population including lots of black and brown folks who use English differently. I never understood until recently that AAVE (African American Vernacular English) was an actual language variation of its own. I’ve been dismissing huge swaths of the population because I considered them less valuable. I required black folks to code switch just to be my friend. I am sincerely sorry for my judgement and ignorance. I did not realize until recently what a white supremacist attitude this is.”

Dustin "Growing up I faced a large amount of bullying for multiple reasons. I'm a big guy, so I was always bullied for being fat. I also happen to have a gay father, and kids knew that early, but they also would tie that in with racial stereotypes. They made micro aggressive statements that are sometimes overtly racist. I also know that I'm very lucky because I have a very large stature. My whiteness or what I get from my dad is his German and Dutch genetics. I am much larger than other Asian people have bigger muscles which make me look more intimidating. I've been very lucky to avoid a lot of overt racism because people don't want to mess with me as much as they would a lot of my friends who are shorter smaller and fit more of the physical stereotype of Asians. I would say I’m privileged. I do recognize my male privilege. I do feel a lot of anger for my Asian American sisters who are being attacked, because they're seen as easy targets.. If I was the one that they were aiming for, they would never have targeted me."

Alex “I am seen as not black enough, not Dominican enough, not Mexican enough, or not Native enough to pick a side. The truth is I don’t pick a side but black lives do matter and I will stand by that until the day I die. And I am referring to the movement, not the organization, please don’t confuse the two. It is hard to be a minority in this country; it’s even harder to be the minority to the minority in this country and that is where I fit in. I can’t pick a side but I can’t stand by what is right. We must teach the next generation to not make our mistakes, to not be narrow minded, as our ancestors once were. And that is what the Enough is Enough organization stands for: fixing police reform, changing the way we treat each other, and hopefully educating others to change the way they think so we can live in a better world.”

Ann “This is indeed a cataclysmic time in our nation and around our world. A time of reckoning about so many areas of disparity and inequality and harm that have marked the relationships of human beings with one another and with this planet on which we all live. No wonder that we see an increased focus on sustainability in order to be sure that we don’t extinguish ourselves and this planet. White supremacy is not a sustainable belief system. I think often what a difference it would have made if my ancestors and others who came from England and Scotland and Wales and other parts of Europe had arrived in these lands with a firm belief that the indigenous people living on this land were completely equal and deserving of respect. Just think if we had wanted to learn from and with these indigenous peoples, instead of trying to dominate and exploit them. We might be so much farther along in understanding and dealing with and possibly even preventing the climate crises that now threaten to destroy our planet. Plus, we would undoubtedly be further along in solving other problems confronting our human species.”

Andres “As African Americans, we are caught in this world which celebrates the culture but not the people. I want to dare to dream. I want to watch my nieces and nephews grow old and be come astronaut and paleontologists. I want the sun to rise and set and not have to worry about trauma. Trauma that has been shared from generation to generation, passed like songs we keep collecting and resurrecting day in and day out. I want to laugh loud in public without being looked at as the loud and boisterous black guy. I want to walk downtown without purses being held tighter when I walked by. I want the privilege to just dream. To dream like white kids dream to walk on Mars, I want to feel that in my neighborhood. I want the belonging I feel with people who look like me, I want to feel that with everyone. I just want my dreams to stop being my dreams.”

Rei “I feel like it’s time for a revolution…for everyone to stand up individually and be their best self and act with kindness in this world because that is what is lacking. If everyone could just try to be a better human being and wake up in the morning and try to do their best, then I think a revolution would happen in this world. We would see all of the pain slowly go away. Things would start to look a little brighter and a little happier. I believe that it all starts with ourselves. Nothing can change unless we work on ourselves.”

Andy and Jaime “What community do I stand in power for?  Native Tucsonan? Yes. Anglo? Yes. Gay community? Yes. AIDS community? Yes. Trans community? Yes Pronouns: They/Them Artist? Yes. Musician? Yes. Disabled? Yes. Elder married bi-racial queer couple? Yes. Ping pong player. Forest Service brat. Small town Arizona cowperson and graduate of Miss Jaffey’s Charm School at Jacome’s Department Store in downtown Tucson. Graphic artist. Cyber geek. Socialist. Human rights activist. Maker of good trouble. Politically inclined. NOW member. Writes poetry sometimes and can easily live on beans and tortillas. Lover of dogs. 
This past season of protests, and the subsequent conviction of Chauvin, gives me reason to hope. But, voter suppression is what we face now. Race is at the center of this voter suppression push. We have to push back and continue to vote for change.”

Savannah and Brian “When George Floyd was murdered and the nationwide BLM protests were ratcheting up, we were just absolutely outraged and felt that we should do something, even if just a small gesture. So we nailed a shoddy sign on our shoddy house. In the year since, several passersby have complimented the sign, a few passing tourists have grimaced, and we’ve enjoyed both reactions. Any meaningful social change involves making some people uncomfortable, and the fact that most of our neighbors seem fine with it means that we’re living in the right place.”

Alanna “I engage in photography as a form of resistance. It’s a radical concept for a Black woman to dedicate her life to showing what truth looks like in the face of white supremacy. For every time we are depicted as negative stereotypes, I create a portrait to counter that narrative and to show actual proof of our beauty, power, light, genius, and our inherent ability to persevere through even the darkest of times. I make work that reminds us of who we are despite what others might try to make us believe about ourselves. We built the economic foundation of this country. We received nothing for that. So I will be damned if I allow one nasty word to be said about my people without countering it with truth. I’m proud to be a Black woman. I have strength and grace in my DNA. My ancestors survived the worst of humanity. I have a responsibility to them to be the best version of myself that I can be. I have a responsibility to them to do my best to leave this world better than how I came into it. I strive for this in all that I do.”

Cadence “The message I might have for people is when you feel like that kind of difference in yourself then it it just means you unique in that way. Yeah, that something wonderful is like you get to do what you want to do and like you get to be what you want to be in your own. And, and being unique kind of means like that. You're different in a good kind of way. Like you have like this little light inside of you. That makes us special in the world. Each and every person has it.”

Sarah “Not looking very Filipino or Asian is complicated. I learned the word “hapa” in college, but before that I just called myself “Russipino”—half Russian Jew and half Filipino. My mom immigrated here from the Philippines and most of our family is still there. For a long time, I had a hard time saying I am Filipino or Asian without adding the qualifier that I am also white…As a someone who studied classical music into graduate school, there have always been Asian cliques that I always didn’t fit into. I often wished I “looked more Asian.” While unpacking the insecurities of not looking Asian enough, I came to the conclusion that there could never be one ideal pan-Asian look. It’s a large region! We vary a lot!”

Andrew “I want to say to those of you who are going to boycott football because of the players actions during the anthem I hope that you stay away and don't come back. You are not true fans. A true fan not only roots for the team, and the players, but also for what those players stand for. If a group as diverse as an NFL football team, or any other sports team, can agree on things and stand (or kneel, or whatever else they choose to do) in unity I have no idea why anyone can't. They're human beings just like you and I and bleed the same blood. People think that they are disrespecting the flag, the anthem, or the military. THEY AREN'T!!!! Ask any military person and the vast majority of them will tell you that they do not feel disrespected and that the players have every right to do what they're doing. And yes, I served! They will say that that is what they fought for, and are fighting for. Every person's right to stand for what they believe in. Again, they are human beings just like you and I.”

Desiree “My Black is beautiful, our Black is beautiful! Let go of your fears, and become informed of our unnecessary struggles that you or some may think is fair. Our blood is forever stained in the earth because of ignorance and shallow minds. Why do I have to fight so much harder than those without melanin? As a Black woman why do you fear my God given power? See me inside out! Black lives matter!”

Eric “I used to think I was a super-progressive “woke ally.”  But then Hurricane Katrina happened and I went to New Orleans as a volunteer to help with rebuilding.  My first morning there I opened the curtains in my hotel room and looked down onto streets filled with residents trying to get limited resources in a devastated city, and I had a full-on panic attack as I realized that I didn’t see a single other white person in this massive crowd. Why was I afraid? Immediately I was filled with shame at my visceral reaction, and that shame forced me to confront the fact that I had deeply internalized racism that I’d never acknowledged. This launched me into self-examination about privilege, which in turn led to what will inevitably be a lifelong practice of disentangling myself from my own internalized racism.  I used to think I was such an ally, but now I realize that I can’t help but be indoctrinated with racist ideas, thoughts, and blind spots because I’ve been inundated with them my entire life — and that it’s my job to continually examine, confront, and dismantle those.” 

Jane “The truth is black lives only matter when they are entertaining you.  Outside of the gratification a black body brings when we are doing anything you find pleasing, our existence is debatable to you.  In 2013 I was taking my 9 month old to protests and rallies  for Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and the other black kids murdered at the hands of those that you insist are here to "protect and serve" that year. Now 7 years later she is asking “ why are we still protesting the same things, mommy?”    I can't take her to protest anymore, because cops have dismissed our rights to peacefully assemble and instead have declared war. Cops are openly destroying our entire families, how would you expect us to react?  I can't take her to protest any more because if a cop pepper sprays or shoots anything at my baby they are going to have to take my life too.  And  I'm not ready to die yet. I'm still teaching my daughter that she can be anything and that her generation will see the defunding and dismantling of the biggest domestic terrorist organization the world used to know.”

Terry “I know that I have implicit bias. My hope is that I recognize it when it emerges and I ask questions about it or am confronted about it. I have been the only Jew and/or the only Lesbian in many situations, and I invite people to ask me anything so that sharing understanding helps them confront their own subconscious bias. I believe that until we stop telling “His Story” we will never entirely remove bias. There will always be racism if our story is based on oppression by white men. The word “history” needs to be removed from our vocabulary and our school curriculum- because “His Story” is a random tale written by the oppressor. It does not reflect all sides. When this ends and we can tell the STORY OF ALL we will have made some real progress.”

To Ree Nee “This is what I know about my self. I am a wolf. I named myself that when I was seven. I travel a thousand miles in Dream Time. I love deeply, passionately and fiercely. In This Moment, my job is to leave the Word better than how I found it. For me, that’s doing one song at a time, one painting at a time and one hug at time. This alchemical moment, this place of uncertainty, we are All sharing it on a global level. We are at the Fork in The Road. The Great Pause and Reckoning. The Bill for this country has come due.The lavish feast that was built upon the backs of captured, enslaved and terrorized people has to be paid. The foundations that have been poured  on stolen lands  are shifting and crumbling. As. They. Should. Nothing truly thrives when it’s based on genocide. The trajectory that started in  duplicity at the beginning of this nation, well, that bullet has caught up with us. And we ain’t gonna out run it. It is not a flesh wound but a gut shot festering.” 

Emma “Many white people cannot accept they buy a seat at their table by exchanging the currency of other white people’s comfort – at the expense of people of color. Whether it is our dinner table, a school lunch table, or a board room table white people must be willing to get up and walk away from that table when it does not have room for everyone equally. They must be willing to not laugh along with the joke. Generally, white people are all waiting for the book to read or the Ted Talk to watch that will give us our full lesson on racism. We want the palatable solution that gets us out of participating in difficult self-examination – a solution where we take a sugar pill at bedtime and wake up in a world of equality and butterflies. There is not an overnight fix for systemic racism and white privilege. The only way out of a system built on white supremacy is for white people to approach it and dismantle it.”

Ceci “I now look at things through the eyes of a mom, wondering what being Asian American will come to mean to my son. The anti-Asian sentiment that has been bubbling under the surface for years found an outlet in hateful violence & discrimination spurred by ongoing isolation, financial hardship, the vitriol spewed by our nation’s president & enthusiastically repeated by his followers, and all the uncertainty that came along with the virus. It breaks my heart to know that my son will undoubtedly experience discrimination as an Asian American, and I wonder if his half-Whiteness will be enough to protect him. I want him to be proud of his Asian heritage, but I also fear that it will bring him confusion, difficulty and pain. I hope it will also be a source of joy and dignity and celebration. For me, personally, it has made me wonder if we’ve made any progress at all in all these years. And I find myself questioning, once again, who I am as an Asian American and what that means.”

Patrick “The struggle of my ancestors is something that I hold dear to my heart. Many have crossed the border while many have watched a border cross them. It’s this narrative that has have often guided my family in defining what it means to be living in this country and contributing to society. I am a Chicano. I was not born in Mexico. I was born here in Tucson, Arizona. I’m an American of Mexican descent raised with an infusion of Mexican American customs on Tucson’s Southside…In separate settings I’ve been told that I act too White, and I’ve also been told that I act too Mexican. Which is it? Can’t I blast corridos in my car and go home and watch The Office without having my cultural identity in mind? Can I go through my experience of receiving a higher education as a 1st generation college student without feeling left out?”

Randy “My story starts in Silver City, NM. There, a cowboy from Buffalo, Wyoming and a young woman Chihuahua Mexico were having me. Years later my mom and I were living in Tucson. I was starting to become an activist and be even more aware of the issues on the border. Once I spent all weekend looking for one of those stickers of Calvin peeing on La Migra. I shit you not, that very same Monday my brother calls me to say he got a job as a Border Patrol! I was livid. I asked him if he forgot that our family, our mom’s brothers, had come up illegally and paved the path for our mom to immigrate. I asked how he would feel when he had to turn back one of our cousins? I tried for years to stay friendly towards him. But his stories of how fun it is to run people down in the desert (people who are dying of thirst just trying to have a better life), were not entertaining for me. But I continued to interact for my Mom. It is nearly impossible for me to fathom how we could have come out so different.”

Yvette “I served in the military for over 20 years. In truth, my involvement has had its ups and downs. We all know the military is a microcosm of society. While I’ve experienced people being fair, I've also seen my fair share of racism, especially during President Obama’s term. Military people were defacing his portraits and you would hear people being disrespectful even though President Obama was the Commander of Chief. I can honestly say that I've had my fair share of times when where I've been slighted for being a woman of color. There are still folks who don't like women in charge, no matter what your military accomplishments are. I retired from the military as a Senior Master Sergeant, the second highest rank one could receive as an enlisted person. In truth, there were people who believed I was undeserving even though I met every requirement and performed my duties well.”

Marquez “This is my clarion call to white people. There is no room to be offended. No more talk. We all know right from wrong. Love is still the panacea, but from now on, if no action is taken, know where I stand, and know that you cannot remain in my life if you cannot understand this. I say this because you are the only ones who can put an to this as the system is designed to suit you, oppress me, and has been since the moment many of my ancestors were forced in shackles to the shores of this looted, stolen land we deem “America.” Systemic change. Hold all leaders and elected officials responsible and demand that they change current policy. Do not film me being brutalized by the police. Put the phone down and help me. Good intentions are never forgotten because during times when I feel like losing it, the walking embodiment of God consciousness within me whispers into my ear that we are all one people underneath the sun.”

Kathleen (photographer self-portrait) “I turned 62nd birthday on the same day that Roe V Wade was overturned. I have always advocated for pro-choice. When I unexpectedly got pregnant at 35, I knew without question that I would keep my baby. However, I didn’t plan on being a single mother just 10-months later. It was a profoundly frightening time in my life but I was resolute. I committed to creating opportunities for my bi-racial son (and me) to foster friendship and experiences in diverse communities. But, despite everything that I did which was good and right, it wasn’t until George Floyd’s murder, that a portal opened up inside me to my gross ignorance about our country’s history and my colonial indoctrination. It is clear to me now that the Supreme Court’s decision is another theme and variation of our country’s foundation, simply put: power and control of those considered as “other”. Pick your community who has been subjected to the effect of white supremacy: Black, Asian, Native American, LBGTQIA+, disabled, mentally challenged, poverty-stricken, refugee/immigrant , women. For the rest of my life, I can not and will not allow myself to go “on vacation” from this topic.”