Here is where we stand:
We stand against police brutality in all forms.
We stand against a criminal justice system that disproportionately targets Black and Brown people.
We stand against the widespread disenfranchisement of Black and Brown communities whose voices are silenced at the polls.
Here is what we believe:
We cannot make the journey for anyone else but we can walk and witness with them.
Being an organization that is for all group workers means we cannot pick and choose our battles. All battles are our battles and we are a part of every social struggle for justice because each of our members’ struggles are valid, real, and important.
Being an advocate for groups means we stand up for the empowerment of Black people, Brown people, Indigenous and Native persons, immigrants, women, religious minorities, sexual and gender minorities, the vast majorities of poor and disenfranchised people, and all who have access and opportunity systemically denied to them.
Black Lives Matter is the civil rights movement of our time, because it addresses a fundamental inequality in our society: that Black lives are too often undervalued. We also believe in providing mental health support to the activists, advocates, and caregivers working to create change. We encourage the ASGW community to join us in supporting Black Lives Matter and other important human rights organizations. If you are not able to join the activists and advocates, think of what you can do to support them with your expertise in group work. Remember as Dr. King said, that “riots are the language of the unheard.” When diverse individuals come together to combat injustice, we may not always agree, but we can be in solidarity on the central principles for which we stand. ASGW is based on the foundational belief that groups hold the power to change the status quo. Support the groups who seek change that support and empower the humanity within each of us.
The ASGW Board