Black History is Every Month

For the past few years, I've sent this letter outlining the importance of advocating for all of us to show up and do the necessary work to dismantle and abolish the anti-Black, white supremacist systems of oppression that lurk in every corner of this country. I debated sending the same letter, however, part of liberation work is disrupting the constant fatigue of tirelessly searching for new words to deliver the same cry for justice, and so I'm sending the same letter because the message remains unchanged.

This year as we celebrate another Black History Month, we continue to see deepened inequities whereby youth experiencing homelessness are disproportionately Black, Brown, and LGBTQ, and Black communities nationwide continue to be disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, and Monkeypox. 

The work to end the crisis of youth homelessness calls us all to examine and confront the violent legacies of this country. Doing this work requires us to truly acknowledge and center the history and contemporary reality of stolen, exploited, and enslaved labor by Black people on this land known to us as the United States. Today, and every day, we honor the Black peoples, indigenous to their lands of origin, who were stolen and taken to the US as an enslaved labor force to cultivate the land and build the infrastructures that make up our communities today. The history of the United States as a settler colonist territory is a history of houselessness, forced displacement, and exploitation. 

 It has never been, is not, and will never be Black people’s job to dismantle white supremacy and “save us” all from its terrors. It is our collective job, especially those of us with privileged identities and closer proximity to whiteness. We all stand to benefit from a world that works actively and continuously to abolish and dismantle white supremacist, ableist, heterosexist, patriarchal and exploitative systems of oppression. We must call ourselves into collective accountability, change, and action. We must look even deeper within ourselves, our organizations, and our communities. And that means we need to pause, critique, dream, and rebuild. We must ask ourselves what opportunities await us on the other side of restful, intentional practices. We continue to uplift and thank leaders like The Nap Ministry, and the invaluable work they do that continues to transform us as individuals, and as an organization. 

 While anti-racism remains a buzzword, we challenge ourselves, folks in our network, and beyond to implement meaningful, actionable changes in their organizations at the structural level and in their interpersonal lives at the individual level. We want to work to realize the liberated communities we deserve while urging others to do the same. Moreover, we want to celebrate all of the folks who are already doing this work, who have historically done this work, and show gratitude for the Black folks who continue to lead the way, especially Queer and Trans Black elders and youth leaders. We need to name white supremacy to dismantle it, today and every day. The disproportionate amount of Black and Brown youth experiencing homelessness is a direct result of exclusionary systems. It’s time for new systems and new solutions like direct cash transfers that put resources and power in the hands of Black and Brown young people. It’s time for us all to show up and do the necessary work, every single day for as long as it takes. 

As we all work together to end youth homelessness, we must also ask ourselves how we can share our resources, our knowledge, and our solidarity to uplift movements that seek to eradicate poverty, abolish violent, carceral systems, and advocate for equity and liberation. 

In Solidarity, 

Pilar Barreyro

VP of Strategy & Communications, Point Source Youth