Dear Family,
When I was a young activist, I was trained in the language of resistance. We must resist oppression, violence, and injustice. Today, I believe that resistance is necessary for survival. But it’s not enough to deliver us.
We have to reimagine the world — and that means telling a new story about our past, who we are, and who we want to be.
Of all our work this year, I am most proud of how we told a new story on the 20 year anniversary of 9/11. Read on for how we shifted culture and memory — and make a donation before December 31st. Join our Beloved Donor Circle here! Scroll down for our thank you gifts to you.
Twenty years ago, a Sikh American father was murdered in hate in front of his gas station in Arizona by a man who called himself a patriot. Balbir Singh Sodhi was the first of an estimated one million people killed in our nation’s response to 9/11 — in hate violence, state violence, and two decades of war. Yet America did not know his name.
We changed that together.
This fall, we launched a full-throated campaign to awaken Americans to the decades-long impact of 9/11 on people of color. We harnessed all our tools — storytelling, education, media, and memorial.
First, we built a special learning hub for educators across the country to teach the impact of 9/11. High schools and colleges screened the special 20-year re-release of our documentary film about hate violence since 9/11 DIVIDED WE FALL for free with a new trailer, a screening guide, and lesson plans that covered hate crimes, racial profiling, indefinite detention, and the costs of war.
Then, we launched a national digital day of action on 9/15, the day Balbir Singh Sodhi was killed. Thousands of you shared his story across social media and sent prayers and messages of solidarity to the Sodhi family. And we commissioned a new portrait to infuse his image into our collective memory.
Our campaign caught national attention, and we told the story on airwaves, in print, and on screens, reaching an estimated 100 million of people on platforms such as CNN, The Independent, Associated Press, PBS, and NPR.
At the heart of the campaign, we gathered in a memorial at the gas station in Arizona on the night Balbir Singh Sodhi was killed. Thousands tuned into the livestream for the vigil honoring Balbir Uncle’s life, organized by the Sikh Coalition. Together we invited the nation to see this gas station as “the second ground zero” — for all whose lives have been lost by our nation’s response to 9/11.
The 20-year anniversary of 9/11 marked two decades of hate violence, state violence, and war. But we reclaimed it as a moment to reckon with the past and reimagine the future.
If we can create beloved community at a gas station, we can create it anywhere. This is the work of the Revolutionary Love Project — to awaken people to the stories on the margins, and create spaces to reckon and reimagine together.
We’ve spent the past 20 years organizing around hate. I am ready to spend the next 20 years organizing around love. If you are with us, please join our Beloved Donor Circle this month! Scroll down for how!
In Chardi Kala — even in darkness, ever-rising spirits,
Valarie
Join our Beloved Donor Circle.
Here are three ways to give to continue the labor of building beloved community. For every donation, we would like to send you thank-you gifts to enrich your journey.
#1 Are you a Beloved Sustainer?
When you make a monthly donation of any amount, you become a Beloved Sustainer. You sustain our work with your faith in us. We send you a postcard of revolutionary love artwork in the mail and keep you posted with special updates. Plus, the first 50 to sign up are invited to join Valarie in a virtual group tea date! (You can also make a one-time donation of $150 or more).
#2 Are you a Beloved Champion?
When you donate $1K or more, you become a Beloved Champion. You are the wind at our back! To thank you, we send you all of the above, plus a signed copy of See No Stranger, a poster of the Shephard Fairey portrait “Rebirth” signed by Valarie, a copy of Ani DiFranco’s new album “Revolutionary Love,” and an invite to join Valarie in a virtual group tea date.
#3 Are you a Beloved Anchor?
If you or your family can donate $10K or more, you become a Beloved Anchor. Thank you! We send you all of the above, plus the brand-new Revolutionary Love audio training course and an invite to join Valarie in a 1-1 virtual tea date.
Our Gifts to Thank You
As an expression of our gratitude, we’re excited to mail you some of our favorite work from 2021!
Our fundraising campaign ends December 31st. Our thank-you gifts will ship to you by March 2022.