SCCCCOR Statement of Concern and Solidarity

The Santa Cruz County Community Coalition to Overcome Racism (SCCCCOR) has as its purpose to dismantle systemic racism in ourselves and our institutions.
We wish to express our concern over the recent defacement of the Black Lives Matter mural at City Hall and our commitment to the Black Lives Matter movement and all people of color in our community.

As both an organization and individuals we are impacted deeply and emotionally by events happening in our community. The recent hateful act of defacement represents more than the base emotion of individuals working to divide our community. Rather than simply being one isolated act, it reflects and illuminates the deep vein of Interpersonal, Systemic and Institutionalized racism that runs through our city and county.

This act has painfully impacted many members of our community.
A sense of safety should be the birthright of everyone. We can begin to build safety for all by respecting and honoring each other’s inherent dignity, worth and value.

Black Lives Matter is a powerful statement and a call to all of us to face the lies in the beliefs of white supremacy which underpins the actions of those who defaced the Black Lives Matter mural and the backlash that continually occurs when these beliefs are threatened.

Black Lives Matter. This speaks truth to power and is a powerful medicine. It helps us all to heal by restoring our dignity and humanity. We are truly in this together.

Black Lives Matter. We are grateful to the courageous Black artists and leaders of our community who created the mural and continue doing the work to free us all even with the ongoing risk, grief, and exhaustion we hear them express.

Finally, a noose is just a piece of rope. And terrorism isn't just blowing up people and things, it's to instill fear, or anger or both through that terrorism. Terrorism is about emotionally derailing our thoughts, habits and/or feelings. White supremacists are taught this at an early age through their families and our collective histories, as the recent Santa Cruz terrorists young ages show. Generations upon generations of symbols of physical terror can take its toll from just seeing them. Yeah, tire tracks are just tire tracks, and a noose is just a piece of rope, until we remember those generations of pure physical terror that those ropes signify.

We endorse and support the public statement of the Santa Cruz County Black Coalition for Justice and Racial Equity, Santa Cruz County Black Health Matters Initiative, NAACP Santa Cruz County Branch, Black Kings of Santa Cruz County, and the Santa Cruz Equity Collab.

THE SCCCCOR Team
Simba Kenyatta
Mavel Armijo
Leslie Potenzo
Alain Desouches
Steve Pleich
Kasi Tkaczyk