Official Statement of the Panhellenic Community at University of California, Irvine in support of the Black Lives Matter movement
To whom it may concern,
"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor." - Desmond Tutu
Our world has been shaken by the murder of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin. While we live in a society where unjust violence against the Black population is too common, losing another life to senseless police brutality is still so difficult to see. It is impossible to ignore the impact this event has on our community and America in general; to do so would be a disservice to the memory of George Floyd and all others who lost their lives to unnecessary acts of aggression from the police.
We, as an organization that prides itself on serving our community to the best of its ability, refuse to stay silent. Panhellenic women must contribute to the spread of awareness, resources, and tangible efforts to make changes beyond retweets and hashtags. It is our duty to support and uplift the voices of our Black Panhellenic sisters- but this is not the only reason we must act on this issue. Participating in human rights movements purely because you know someone affected is to not see the issue in its entirety. Performative activity is empty. Showing up for the disenfranchised and using your platform to help others is necessary. Education and advocacy for these causes before they escalate is our goal.
In a world created on foundations of injustice, it is our responsibility to contribute to informative change in any way possible. We have created a resource sheet with links to petitions, reliable organizations to donate to, and educational tools and we will be distributing this to the Panhellenic community. Additionally, we as a community are encouraging individual chapters action in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Several Panhellenic chapters have already vocalized their support of this cause and we look forward to seeing more engagement and correspondence within our community surrounding this cause.
To non-Black Panhellenic women: educate yourself on how to best serve others with the privileges you may possess. To our Black Panhellenic sisters: know your community stands beside you during this time of crisis.
#BlackLivesMatter
The Panhellenic Sororities at University of California, Irvine
*Approved by the Delegates of:
Alpha Chi Omega | Alpha Epsilon Phi | Alpha Phi | Delta Delta Delta | Delta Gamma | Gamma Phi Beta | Kappa Alpha Theta | Phi Sigma Rho | Pi Beta Phi