|
John, what’s happening in Los Angeles is heartbreaking. We’re seeing the devastating impact of the wildfires on innocent people, communities, and wildlife.
To folks in LA, we see you and hope that you’re safe, your loved ones are safe, and that if you must evacuate you can do it safely.
We know, in times like this it’s Black, brown, and poor folks who bear the brunt of the damage. For poor neighborhoods affected by this fire, it will take more resources and more time to rebuild.
The Altadena neighborhood is just north of Pasadena and has a deep legacy of Black migration from the south and is a hub of the Black community. Altadena still has a large Black population to this day, in part due to the redlining and discrimination that happened in Pasadena.
We are watching generations of history and Black livelihood burn to the ground as Black families are displaced. It is heartbreaking, and we have no easy words to offer in this moment.
But to those who need these resources, or if you’re in a place to donate, we’re uplifting Mutual Aid Los Angeles Fire and Wind Storm resources that might help →
In addition to the growing list of resources on their Instagram page, there’s a big Google doc of resources organized by city!
In addition to the devastation these wildfires are causing, there’s another element of toxic white supremacy at play we must address.
In the most dangerous positions, fighting the fire directly are incarcerated people who are forced to fight fires like the ones occurring now through a “slavery loophole.”
Nearly 400 incarcerated firefighters are deployed right now. Firefighters earn only between $5.80 and $10.24 a day and an additional $1 per hour when responding to active emergencies. When responding to disasters, they may earn $26.90 over a 24-hour shift.
These cascading failures and systems of white supremacy have resulted in the horror that we’re seeing right now. We can’t forget that. We won’t move on from that. We demand better and will work towards building a better world alongside all of you.
In love and solidarity,
Black Lives Matter
|
