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joins our brothers, sisters and friends across the nation and the Pacific who are committed to social change and realizing a just and equitable world, and who are fighting to overcome centuries of dehumanization and systemic racism faced by Black people, Indigenous people and other communities of color.

This is the time to raise our voices and stand together.

We must raise our voices in solidarity to combat what we otherwise condone by remaining silent. We must identify and name the problems in order to own them and address them. We must acknowledge that racism pervades our lives in insidious ways, sometimes unrecognizably because it is painted as the norm.

We cannot be silent about it; we cannot fail to see it. This is a time to stop and think about what is pono — what is right.

The data reflects the realities of racism and injustice, from the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 within communities of color to the egregious examples of race-based violence and police brutality that continue to surface across our communities.

The ingrained cycle of what led to the wrongful deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Tony McDade, and countless others must be known. These examples further highlight a fundamentally flawed criminal justice system that repeatedly fails to provide justice for all.

We must not allow ourselves to look away from the stark picture of systemic racism. Cultural restorative traditions would call us to come to the table openly, with humility, willing to accept accountability, with the intent to face issues within ourselves and outside ourselves to make them right.

Facing the issues is the first step to creating change. We must learn about, teach about, and confront racism in our educational and governing systems so that we can recognize and end it. Ignorance is not an excuse; silence is not acceptable.

Don’t look to those who are in denial, look to the face of those of truth.

As a closing thought, in Hawaiian culture, our kupuna lead by the values of aloha and lokahi, magnifying the principles of love and compassion and uniting harmony, humility, and perseverance.

Partners in Development Foundation is committed to these values. We continue to envision a world that is just and equitable for all. We are committed to strengthening communities and families, to leading with love and the conviction that everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive.

Although the gravity of the injustices across our nation are immense, we believe in the power of community, the possibility that comes when we work together, and that love will overcome hate.