Statement of Solidarity

We at CAPS stand in solidarity with all members of our UCF community against any forms of oppression, racism, xenophobia, or homophobia. We write to affirm our support for the dignity of all our diverse community members.  CAPS is with you and stands alongside you.  We share a collective responsibility to speak out against prejudice, discrimination or acts of violence that aim to further divide our communities. We are committed to speaking up, listening, and providing confidential support for all our diverse community members and allies to foster empowerment and resilience and reduce fear.  We want to invite anyone who is being impacted by this or other challenging current events to come to CAPS for support,  or to use our after hours hotline/ crisis line for support at 407-823-2811 (press 5 afterhours).

 

Statement of Solidarity and Support

Stop Asian Hate

UCF CAPS stands in outrage, devastation, sadness, empathy and solidarity with our students, staff and faculty, and members of the entire UCF community who are being directly or indirectly impacted by current racially motivated events and political unrest. 

 Starting in spring 2020, the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery and others; the weaponizing of race for a white woman’s benefit in Central Park; and the unfair targeting of our Asian communities based on the pandemic are just a few of the many incidents that have re-exposed oppression, discrimination and violence towards our communities of color that have been going on for decades, and continue to persist.

 Our communities are hurting because of the re-opening of deep racial wounds on top of the many losses caused by COVID-19. This is causing profound psychological impact and trauma on our mental health. CAPS staff sees you, we support you, and we are here for you. Please reach out if you would like to get support for this or other issues by calling 407-823-2811. We offer some links and resource for support.

 

In light of recent events, please find resources regarding help for racial and LGBTQ trauma and related issues:

Racial trauma:

Resources and action items to address the current racism pandemic against AAPI, provided by Dr. Jiyoon Lee:

1. Report Hate Crimes against Asian Americans

2. Assistance with legal and social services through the Stop Hate hotline: (Asian Americans Advancing Justice partnered with Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and their Stop Hate project)1-844-9-NO-HATE

3. Know your rights

4. Bystander Intervention training (against harassment)

5. Self-defense and Personal safety training

6. Civic Engagement: Collective justice and shared liberation

7. Culture Surge: an artists and culture makers’ coalition for justice, care and connection.

8. Other action ideas: Host a panel discussion, lead a community safety audit, create a survey for research, create Mud Stencils, hold a Chalk Walk, create a Guerrilla-Style Video about Street Harassment, organize a Protest or March, initiate legislative advocacy, host workshops, host a film screening, host Fundraising https://www.ihollaback.org/holla-how-tos/

9. Donate

10. Share resources with others

Being a White Ally:

Coping After a shooting:

“What is #Black Lives Matter”

Black Lives Matter developed out of a response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman after his having shot an innocent black youth, Trayvon Martin. BLM is an international human rights movement that brings attention to black people being disproportionately jailed, excluded, treated as second class citizens, being seated in the back of the restaurant and bracing for self-protection every time they or their children leave their homes. It specifically targets police brutality, racial profiling and racial inequality in the criminal justice system. In our society where black lives have been treated as insignificant, undermined, betrayed and assumed inferior for centuries, Black people with their white allies are standing up and teaching about what equality and social justice looks like.