A Note from the Executive Director:
While the world is battling a viral pandemic, we are also in the midst of another kind of illness, one that represents the basest aspect of our humanity, racism. As an organization, Venture House stands alongside the community in our outrage and despair, to speak out against an insidious evil that pervades our society and has festered for centuries. Every so often this evil makes its continued presence alarmingly apparent in an incident where a person of color is violated in a heinous and reprehensible manner. And when it occurs at the hands of those who are charged with our protection, expected to keep the peace, and who have at their fingertips the capacity for deadly force, the abuse of power is more than we can bear and we shudder at the level of injustice visited upon the victim, the victim’s family, the entire community of color, and the country at large. We have been here before, we have hoped for change before, we have marched for justice before, when will it come to fruition? We must never stop in our resolve to transcend the drivers of racism: ignorance and fear and greed. We will take a knee, and we will extend our hand, open our hearts and minds, and wherever and whenever we see injustice, we will see something, say something, do something. It is up to those who are already privileged by where and to whom they were born, to take a stand and fix the problem.
Juliet Douglas, LCSW
Executive Director
The Current Work from Our Advocacy Committee
Like many people around the world, staff and members here at Venture House have asked ourselves “what can we do?” This question is especially relevant in the midst of the continuing pandemic, when many of us are still trying to do our part to slow the virus’ spread by staying inside and physically distancing.
Venture House members and staff have proven themselves to be up to the task. We as an organization have committed ourselves to push the movement for equal rights forward by having open, honest internal dialogue, followed by appropriate action through our advocacy committee and the example we set as members of our community.
We have begun this effort by creating a series of forums where our community listens to those affected by these problems so we can all have a better understanding.
We are determined to continually educate our members, staff, and the communities we are part of.
We hope to connect those who want to support the movement outside of Venture House to the appropriate resources. That includes offering information on peaceful protests as well as other ways to support for those who would like to offer another form of solidarity, such as contributing to local civil rights organizations with money or time.
Above all, we are taking time to consider the ways that we, as an organization which serves various groups of people who face a multitude of obstacles due to discrimination and injustice, can be better and do better.
-Venture House Advocacy Committee