Almost lost in the news of the gut-wrenching testimonies in the death of George Floyd is the equally horrific increase by 150% in the attacks and killings within our beloved Asian community in the past year. The killings of Asian women in Atlanta and the brutal attack on an elderly Asian woman on the streets of New York are only recent examples of this ongoing tragedy in our midst. Members of the Asian community in the Fox Cities are being harrassed as well.
And then there is the plight of the high percentage of missing and/or murdered indigenous women. Mark Charles, indigenous author of Unsettling Truths, adapted a diagnosis from psychologist Rachel McNair, who says that some perpetrators of crime suffer from Perpetration-Induced Traumatic Stess (PITS). Charles suggests that we as a country suffer from the same trauma, a subconscious guilt after four-hundred years of genocide and slavery, and don’t even realize it.
How long will it take for us to face our denial as a nation? Growth in this consciousness within our community will occur when we are willing to face reality and see ourselves as part of our national systemic racism. We as members of ESTHER encourage all of us to realize that we can no longer consider ourselves to be “innocent bystanders” to what is happening in America today. Last week, Ron, a young South Korean, asked that we “be self-aware, speak up, ask questions, be genuine and have respect for everyone.”
Gary Crevier
ESTHER President
The social justice committee of St. Bernard Parish (Appleton), an ESTHER partner, is sponsoring a Lenten book study group using the New York Times best seller, 
Have you wanted the skills to interrupt bullying or other harmful hehaviors and comments? Are you looking for tools to invite people into challenging conversations rather than shutting them down? Do you wonder when it’s appropriate to Stand, Speak and Act?
United Way Fox Cities is offering a 21-week “Equity Challenge,” a powerful opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of how inequity and racism affect our lives and our community. The challenge begins on February 1 (but participants can join any time) and continues through June 21. Each Monday during the challenge, participants will receive an email with topics to explore to develop deeper interpersonal understandings, build a stronger awareness of current systems, and engage in opportunities to take action.
President-elect Biden has asked the nation to mark a national COVID victims memorial on the eve of the Inauguration. See 
“Living an Abolitionist Life: Resistance, Creativity, Hip Hop Civics Ed, Intersectionality, & Black Joy”
matter and sensibilities are nurtured to engage communities in the work of fighting for visibility, inclusion, and justice. Her talk will end by calling all of us to engage in critical dialogues about racial violence, oppression, and how to make sustainable change in our communities. She will challenge us to envision a world built on Black joy, creativity, imagination, boldness, ingenuity, and the rebellious spirit and methods of abolitionists.
