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April Yee, Kidpower International Board President

I felt devastated when I heard the news in Atlanta, about eight killed, with the majority of the victims being Asian American women.As an Asian American woman myself, the recent increase in anti-Asian violence has directly affected the communities in which I belong.

Our communities have been in conversation with each other in various spaces during this time, working to build stronger connections, community, and solidarity along with others who want to be more than allies.

Whether or not identity proves to be a motive in yesterday’s terrible tragedy in Atlanta, people are scared and have been targeted and harmed. While we grieve in the aftermath of this violence, we may have questions: How can we prevent something like this from happening again? How can we stay safe ourselves? What can we do to help others be safe?

I’m grateful for the work Kidpower does to contribute to answering these questions, by teaching people skills to keep themselves and others safe.

We all have the power to use our awareness, words, and actions, to stay in conversation with each other–conversations that can counter messages of harm and hate, and being committed to SAFETY.

For all, not just some.

To support these efforts, please read this article, Identity Based Attacks Targeting Asian Americans: Strategies to Reduce Harm & Increase Safety – which I wrote last summer and which, sadly, remains just as important and necessary in this time. Please feel free to share it with others who may benefit from the information it contains. And please reach out. I would love to hear from you.

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Published: March 17, 2021   |   Last Updated: March 17, 2021