Montclair, NJ – As a proud multicultural sorority who champions the rights of ALL, Lambda Tau Omega Sorority, Incorporated is heartbroken and disgusted with the ongoing and escalating issue of racism and violence toward communities of color, especially black communities. While this great nation affords us many rights and protections, this, unfortunately, does not apply to all, with people of color suffering disproportionately from higher rates of violence from authority figures and systems. Our thoughts are firstly with the families, friends, and communities of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Aubrey, and countless others lost to violence and racism. We stand with our brothers and sisters in the black community, who deserve all human rights afforded to others—and whose lives matter.
We are proud of our commitment to diversity and adhere to values that include supporting all human rights, tolerance, respect, and compassion toward others. We thrive on a membership that is varied in ethnicity, religion, political views, socio-economic background, sexual orientation, and identification, among other areas. With this, we condemn and do not tolerate racism, especially during an already difficult time for marginalized groups who are experiencing the burdens and negative effects of the Coronavirus pandemic at increasingly higher rates than others.
Lambda Tau Omega stands with black communities across the diaspora and with our members who feel both the weight of these circumstances as well as the desire and need to take action. As womyn rooted in ideals of empowerment and independence, we know that it is our duty to stand up for the rights of those who bear the burden of oppression.
We urge our members to participate responsibly and safely in spreading awareness, taking action steps, and sharing resources to make a difference. We especially urge you to take this time to deeply reflect on and challenge the anti-blackness within our very communities. This is the time for everyone to think about what we can actively do in our day to day lives to dismantle the systems that continue to oppress black communities.
Finally, we want to remind our members of how important it is to be proactive and intentional about your mental health care during this time (please reference the list of resources below). We hope and expect that our members will continue to engage in an appropriate and productive dialogue on the sensitive but important topics we face on race as a nation today, in an effort to be part of the change in a positive direction. We look forward to sharing additional resources on how Lambda Tau Omega will be helping communities and continuing this critical conversation.
Please contact our National Governing Board to request permission in utilizing information in this statement, or should you require further information. Please send all inquiries regarding this matter to National President, Marie Hinds.
Resources for Discussing Sensitive Matters
https://mhanational.org/talking-kids-about-fear-and-violence
Resources for Self-Care
CALM | https://www.calm.com
Calm is a meditation app with a limited free version of the Calm app and a free 7-day trial of the premium version. Standard cost is $70-a-year, or about $6 bucks a month
HEADSPACE | https://www.headspace.com
With Headspace, one can listen to a general guided meditation, or choose one that is more specific to your needs (i.e. relationships, sleep). The app features short meditations for those in need of a quick dose of calm.
TALKSPACE | https://www.talkspace.com
Online counseling via text, audio, or video messaging. At any time, from anywhere. Flexible plans to meet your needs and your lifestyle at an affordable cost. 100% Private & Secure. Secure & Confidential.
SHINE | https://join.shinetext.com/
The Shine app is your support system for daily stress and anxiety and is specifically designed for women of color in mind. Users can learn a new self-care strategy every day, get support from a diverse community, and explore an audio library of over 500+ original meditations, bedtime stories, and ambient music to help shift mindset or mood.
Reading for Cultural Education
- White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism – by Robin DiAngelo
- Between the World and Me – by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement – by Angela Y. Davis, Frank Barat and Cornel West
- The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness – By Michelle Alexander
- White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson
- So You Want to Talk about Race – IJeoma Oluo
