SOLIDARITY STATEMENT

June 8, 2020

Dear UFV WEST community,

In light of recent events which have drawn our attention to racial injustice towards the Black community, we feel that it is our responsibility to share the stance and a reminder of the values of UFV WEST. As an organization built for advocacy, we have no tolerance for injustices of any kind, and stand firmly against racism and police brutality.

WEST was founded with the purpose of empowering minority groups, with the ultimate vision of ensuring equal opportunity for everyone. Although our focus is on women and girls in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), our fight is intersectional with all those who face discrimination. Every form of oppression must be taken into consideration in order to move forward and bring about meaningful change.

Racism is a threat to all of humanity, and exists in our immediate proximity. It is embedded in every aspect of our society and is upheld by a culture of silent compliance. WEST exists to create a different kind of community — one of empowerment and opportunity that can actively fight against systems of oppression and support emerging leaders to shape the future of our world.

As such, we will do more to honour our foundational commitment of advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion. We commit to working to dismantle the structures that uphold systemic racism, white supremacy, and anti-Blackness, as well as to amplify Black voices and experiences through our organization.

WEST stands in solidarity with the Black community, and with the BIPOC (Black People, Indigenous People, and People of Colour) that make up our executive team, our members, our university, our community, and beyond. 

We would like to close with a quote by Audre Lorde, a Black feminist writer and civil rights activist:

“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own. And I am not free as long as one Person of Colour remains chained. Nor is any one of you.”

#BlackLivesMatter

In solidarity,

The UFV WEST Team