Letter to the TGS Community

TGS Community,

Two events yesterday deserve our full attention and for different reasons will define our path forward.

The first was the treasonous action we witnessed by domestic terrorists on the steps of the US Capitol. While it is clear that these actions need to be widely condemned and those that participated need to be held accountable, it is also clear that we must force the broader conversation about the hypocrisy we witnessed.

Throughout most of 2020 and for generations, Black people have pleaded for police in our communities to demonstrate the type of restraint that we saw yesterday. It is frankly maddening to witness a mob of thugs storm the halls of what should be one of the most secure buildings in our nation. Meanwhile, one single Black person simply standing outside their home, riding public transportation, selling cigarettes, driving a car, playing in a park, shopping in a store, or minding their business asleep in their home, has been murdered at the hands of police. While I know our community is well aware of this dichotomy, it is important in moments like this to reaffirm our commitment to engage this issue directly and work to turn dialogue into action and change.

To our community members in DC, we stand with you. Please continue to be safe and know that this moment shall pass. If there is anything we can do to support or be helpful to you at this moment, please do not hesitate to reach out to us directly. We will have specific programs in the coming weeks to help process these events and others that will be focused on our path forward.

The second event we witnessed yesterday was the election of Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to the United States Senate from Georgia. We cannot let the abominable actions of yesterday distract us from the tremendous accomplishment that our community achieved. Many doubted that we would show up to the polls again but specifically Black voters proved them wrong and showed up in a major way. Several members of this community including the TGS Voting Circle, Nse Ufot, Clardith Landry, Jeremy Halbert-Harris, Eleina Raines, Dashekia Ruffin, Karli Swift, Issac Hayes, Mondale Robinson and countless others organized then mobilized voters to achieve this victory. We are also proud that TGS was a physical second home for both campaigns and are honored to have played our part. With that said, this is the beginning of a new journey and we look forward to working with the Senators-elect to be accountable and to achieve many of the policy proposals outlined during their campaigns.

Although we as a nation witnessed evil yesterday, we also experienced triumph. Yesterday was another reminder of why I believe in the community we are building so deeply and in the need for the spaces we share. Thank you for being a part of TGS. It is an honor to be in community with you, and I look forward to continuing to build meaningful bonds and to the work ahead.

We All We Got.

In Community,

Ryan