“The measure of a country’s greatness is its ability to retain compassion in times of crisis.”
- Thurgood Marshall, Former Justice of The United States Supreme Court
In the midst of the tragedy with which our Nation is currently grappling, SOS Bend would like to voice our solidarity and support of those struggling to be heard; of those peacefully protesting; and of those working so hard and often without fanfare, to fix the many issues that have existed in our society for far too long. This moment gives us all clarity of the deep economic and social injustices that exist in our communities and an urgency to change them. SOS Bend began with a mission to solve the economic injustices for our small businesses in our own community, while our broader mission has always been to encourage each of us, as stakeholders in our communities, to take positive actions to support each other and make our communities more resilient. This mission remains more important than ever.
We believe that no community is thriving unless all members of the community are thriving, whether that be our local community or our global communities. The truth is, however, that the playing field has never been even. Minority members of our communities face economic and social injustices more than any other population and they have not been heard. More importantly, we have not addressed their plight, but rather ignored it; dismissed it; and in many cases demonized it. Moreover, we have also seen a broadening of the economic divide and inequalities that are now pervasive across our society. It must not be lost that these economic inequalities and injustices impact a tremendous percentage of our fellow citizens, regardless of the color of their skin, and have led to further economic segregation across our communities.
These unprecedented times have brought great challenges to many members of our community and have illuminated injustices that existed long before the pandemic began. But, it’s also given us an opportunity for communities to come together and problem solve; to bring diverse thoughts and groups together to address the issues that have led us to where we are now. That is what SOS Bend is about. Regardless of our monetary impact, we hope to help inspire our community to support each other and to take action against the many injustices — economic and social — that stand in the way of us becoming the kind, just, and equitable society that we deserve.
Originally published at https://medium.com on June 3, 2020.
