Dear Friends,
Prevention Links wishes to acknowledge and respond to the violent events that have occurred recently in our country. The hate crime on March 16 against Asian Americans took the lives of eight people, six of whom were Asian women, in Atlanta, Georgia.
We acknowledge the lasting traumatic impact this mass shooting has had on all of us, but most of all for Asian Americans in this county, who have been victims of anti-Asian acts, beliefs, and violence in our society. Violence against the Asian American community goes underreported and unpublicized year after year. The continued lack of acknowledgment of the Georgia shooting as a hate crime adds to the trauma of this heinous crime.
Prevention Links condemns anti-Asian violence and racial violence of all kinds, and we are committed to doing our part to prevent and cease the acceptance of hate crimes and racial violence. We are also committed to providing responsive services that are accessible to all. We continue to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion, but readily acknowledge that we have more to learn.
We stand in solidarity with the Asian community. We will continue to uphold our ongoing commitment to anti-racism and safe and strong communities. We reinforce the need to understand how to eradicate racial violence and discrimination in Asian American communities and beyond.
We also acknowledge the tragic mass shootings in Boulder, Philadelphia, Virginia Beach, and other locations around the world over the last week. As we know too well, these are not isolated incidents, but a pattern of violence that has plagued our country for decades and grows worse by the year.
As an organization, Prevention Links is committed to addressing the lasting effects of the trauma from these and other violent events. Our mission and purpose is to provide programs and services that build resilience, strengthen protective factors, and prevent substance use, child maltreatment, and other negative consequences that are so often caused by trauma, both at the individual and community level.
We grieve for the lives lost in and hold their families in our prayer. We know there is no substitute for action.
“The future depends on what you do today.” – Gandhi
Sincerely,
Prevention Links Management & Board of Directors
