Today is not the day in which we first realized “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail, 1963). Nor is it the day we realized the inherent soundness of making a sustained and concerted pursuit of justice. Today is not the day we learned we had privilege.

Today we still struggle to comprehend the colossal damages of our actions and inaction. Today we are living viscerally with a public health crisis and reap from the stench of indifference. We must be reminded of Rev. King’s words once again, “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

To say “these are unprecedented times” would be an egregious understatement. The tremendous ache amongst the community is compounded by repeated offenses of police misconduct and excessive brutality against our Black brothers and sisters. Every year, month, day, and hour that we hide in passivity, disinterest, and disillusionment is like adding a laceration diffusing the spark towards change.

TAP-DC is committed to supporting the Black community in DC and beyond in the advancement of equality, justice, and reform.

To our Black brothers and sisters: While we can not fully understand the weight upon their shoulders, we strive ardently to educate ourselves and others around us so that we can help carry the load. We urge community members to engage with us and each other in pursuit of change.\

In solidarity and with love,
TAP-DC

—

 We encourage our members to explore the NAACP's "We Are Done Dying Campaign" (https://naacp.org/campaigns/we-are-done-dying/) and the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s "Being Antiracist" guide (https://nmaahc.si.edu/learn/talking-about-race/topics/being-antiracist). As an organization, TAP-DC commits to the following:

1️⃣ Match the individual donations of members, up to $1000 cumulatively, to any of the following organizations (please submit a receipt copy to officers@tap-dc.org for proof of donation):
◾ BLACK LIVES MATTER DC (http://www.blacklivesmatterdmv.org/)
◾ BLACK SWAN ACADEMY (https://www.blackswanacademy.org/)
◾ D.C. BAR – PRO BONO CENTER (https://www.dcbar.org/pro-bono/about-the-center.cfm)
◾ NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND (https://www.naacpldf.org/)
◾ NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE (https://nmaahc.si.edu/)

2️⃣ Support DMV-area Black-owned businesses and encourage our members to do the same, such as by frequenting them at future events; discover such businesses by visiting https://thehoya.com/gtown-black-owned-businesses/ and https://shoppeblack.us/.

3️⃣ Broaden our education on racism and the history and stories of our Black brothers and sisters, including through engaging literature, films, and music produced by Black creators throughout our organizational programming.