A note from Randy Karr, CEO of The Spur Group, to employees after the Atlanta shootings.
What happened in the Atlanta Spa shooting this week appears to be another heinous act of racism. Regardless of what we heard as the shooter’s motive, the targeted victims were mainly of female Asian descent. This was such an egregious, cowardly act. I am deeply saddened, enraged and like many of you, dealing with a multitude of emotions around the state of our country. In the past year hate crimes towards the Asian community have gone up 150%. It’s sickening.
I implore us all to do our part to stand against acts of hate and crime rooted in misogyny and racism. To be silent is to accept these horrible acts. The stance we take against racism, as outlined in our Black Lives Matter post, remains consistent and applies to all communities that come under attack. Today I am writing in support of the Asian community.
Here are a few things we can do together:
- Be change you want to see. Take action as appropriate. Reach out to your Asian peers, colleagues, and even clients to show support and solidarity. For some of you the appropriate action might mean donations, for others it may mean active participation in various causes to eradicate racism, anti-Asian hate, anti-Pacific Islander hate. We have listed a few sources for donations below, taken from the Social Justice Fund site. Send us others you think we should consider.
- Continue to educate ourselves. In times like these we have an opportunity to grow. To be better versions of ourselves. Take time to consider how we should work together, not divide. Taking time to better understand the lived experiences of others, is a good way to do this. Here is A Literary Guide to Combat Anti-Asian Racism in America from Electric Literature.
- Help us be the best we can be. Our “door” remains open. You can reach me directly, or any one of us on the executive leadership team, to talk through these horrific events. Tell us what we can do more of or how we need to do better. You can also reach out to the ED&I Leadership Council and EDI&B Advisory Group for guidance and support.
Where to donate:
- Donate to support the victims, their families, and crisis intervention in Atlanta’s Asian community via Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Atlanta
- API Chaya, Seattle | An Asian and Pacific Islander led grassroots organization supporting survivors and families impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault
- Massage Parlor Outreach Project, Seattle | An Asian queer, trans, women, and femme-led grassroots collective supporting Seattle’s massage workers: Venmo @mpop_sea
Please feel free to reach out to me if you feel so moved.
Be safe,
Randy