During Black History Month, we reflect on the contributions of African Americans on our history and culture. The accomplishments of Black Americans are grand, and the United States owes an incalculable debt to the successes of Black Americans. Please note that Queens Defenders has a library of Black history books in the 3rd floor conference room.
A theme for Black History Month 2023 is resistance. Black Americans have resisted slavery, lynchings, racial terrorism, ongoing forms of segregation and harassment, and police killings. At Queens Defenders, as we mourn the death of Tyre Nichols and countless Black Americans who have suffered at the hands of police violence, we challenge ourselves to celebrate the accomplishments of Black Americans while fighting to uproot racism and oppression in the criminal legal system and beyond. We challenge ourselves to not relegate this work to the month of February. In the spirit of continual work to replace racism with inclusion, Queens Defenders has updated its values for diversity, equity & inclusion, including our devotion to working from an anti-racist and anti-oppression lens. Please see here:
- Diverse: QD represents and appreciates the differences in our community.
- Equitable: QD provides everyone with the opportunities to succeed. This recognizes that marginalized groups continue to endure discrimination and oppression. Advantages and barriers mean that not everyone starts in the same place.
- Inclusive:
• All QD team members feel a sense of belonging.
• QD is actively inviting the participation of all.
• QD is creating avenues of growth and development for all. - Anti-racist and anti-oppression lens: We identify racist and oppressive practices and replace them with diverse, equitable, and inclusive ones.