Statement of Solidarity
A Message from SMCD Leadership: In the two weeks since the brutal murder of George Floyd by a member of the Minneapolis Police Department while 3 other police officers participated or stood by, People of Color have marched in the streets night after night, day after day, side by side with white people in cities and towns throughout this country and in countries across the globe to demand an end to police brutality and racial injustice. It is clear that our society has reached a tipping point. The oppression of our citizens is not going to be tolerated any longer. The people demand that structural, institutionalized racism be dismantled.
SMCD unequivocally stands in solidarity with communities of color and the Black Lives Matter movement. We embrace our shared humanity.
Our solidarity is rooted in the Shambhala vision that fosters the inherent goodness and wisdom of each human being. We are committed to societal flourishing and interconnection.
Unless and until white America is willing to collectively acknowledge its privilege, take responsibility for its past and open our eyes to the impact it has on the present, until we commit fully to creating a future steeped in justice, enlightened society cannot be realized.
It will take all of us to affect change and bring an end to institutionalized racism. When doing racial justice work, we will make mistakes but we can learn and keep going. While we may feel awkward and even afraid, our practice will help us smile at fear. Awkward is not the enemy, as we say in Social Meditation. Our silence is no longer an option.
With urgent clarity and the sanity and gentleness of the Shambhala tradition, we are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion within the Denver Shambhala Center. We agree with this statement from President Chuck Lief of Naropa University that “It requires a community wide agreement that the work is required, not elective, and without such an agreement we cannot be fully educated or fully human.”
We invite you to join in protector practice at protests, participate in group tonglen offerings for all who suffer, donate to organizations that support protesters and start conversations with our elected officials to make sure that all policy and laws are equitable and inclusive of all beings. If you are interested in keeping in touch with rapid development of groups of practice and action please join our Facebook COMMUNITY Page — it is a closed group that you do have to join to participate in: search “Denver Shambhala Community Page” from Facebook.
SMCD Leadership
June 9, 2020
