Friend,
My grandmother is resilient. She saved every one of her checks at her fast food job to bring my family over from Tobago-Trinidad and provide us with a better life.
My mother is resilient. She raised me to pursue my dreams, dance for joy, and taught me that being a Black woman is a blessing through and through.
My brother is resilient. Although I have not seen him for over a decade and he is losing his vision, I can hear the strength and courage in every note of his voice that crackles through the phone.
Black immigrants are resilient because we are inherently worthy of our humanity and purpose. TODAY, on Immigrant Day of Resilience, I want to shower my community with love and affirmations that we are powerful.
Join me today at 12pm ET as we unveil the mural in D.C. Ward 4 — a predominantly Black, brown and immigrant neighborhood.
It’s no mistake that Black immigrants were some of the first targeted by Biden’s administration — even after a supposed moratorium (freeze) on deportations. Anti-Black violence exists in the immigration system just like in the police system.
Our liberation is bound together and we can only flourish when we have each other’s back.
When we don’t, the danger is more violence towards Black immigrants, indigenous immigrants, transgender immigrants, disabled immigrants, the elderly, and many more vulnerable people.
Today’s mural and healing ceremony is the start of a shared vision: one where immigrants from all walks of life are smiling, resting, and living in abundance with our friends and families.WATCH TODAY AT 12PM ET
Friend — not all families and communities made it through Trump’s administration without losses. Today at our mural unveiling, we will hold space for all of those families still in mourning too: victims of police violence, the deportation force, and even the pandemic.
We have a long road ahead until we win justice for all our people, but I know we can do it together. I see you, I hear you, and I will fight alongside you.
With love,
Joella and the UWD Team
