BLM – Apex statement of support
The staff and providers at Apex Wellness stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. We take to heart that this is an important time of reckoning for us as Portlanders to collectively acknowledge and address the threads of racism that are tightly woven into our past and present. In its early days our state banned Black residents and stole land from Indigenous peoples; our industries have pushed out Black workers; our housing authorities have significantly limited Black home ownership; our “urban renewal” projects have seized the houses and land of hundreds of Black families. Our city’s BIPOC residents, and Black residents in particular, continue to face significant inequality and discrimination in housing, education, employment, income, policing, healthcare, and beyond. It is past time that we all, especially White folx, truly engage to transform this status quo.
Our providers and staff at Apex are committed to heeding the call to step up and make impactful efforts toward dismantling the elements of white supremacy culture that operate within ourselves, our organization, and our community:
- Individually we commit to deepening our understanding of whiteness and white supremacy culture and shifting our attitudes, behaviors, and practices in ways that value, center, and care for Black and other BIPOC folx.
- As an organization we commit to an ongoing process of inquiry, reflection, and change to understand and repair the ways we are falling short in serving our Black and other BIPOC patients.
- Within our community we commit to advocating for racial justice by taking leadership within our professional organizations; pressuring our local, state, and federal institutions and leaders; and providing ongoing financial support to Black-centered, change-focused organizations and collectives such as Black Lives Matter, Don’t Shoot PDX, National Bail Out, The Red Door Project, Urban League of Portland, and the Movement for Black Lives.
Thank you for taking the time to engage with us. We look forward to seeing you all in the clinic and on the front lines.
