The Cornell South Asian Law Students Association affirmatively stands in solidarity with the Cornell Black Law Students Association and supports the broader Black Lives Matter movement. We mourn the losses of George Floyd, Ahmad Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, David McAtee, James Scurlocks, and the numerous other black individuals who have lost their lives at the hands of violence, systemic racism, and ongoing police brutality. 

But, affirming our support and stating that we are in solidarity is not enough. Indeed, much of the broader South Asian community in the United States owes a great deal to the Black community. After all, it was the efforts of Black activists and civil rights leaders during the 1960s that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Hart-Celler Act of 1965 were passed. The Hart-Celler Act of 1965, also known as the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, is largely why many South Asians were able to immigrate to, and currently reside in, the United States today. The act removed quotas and immigration bans, allowing family-based immigration to take place.

With that being said, we want to take this opportunity to acknowledge that anti-Blackness and racism is common in our communities, and we are in a privileged position to combat those sentiments. There have been a number of South Asian celebrities who have expressed racist sentiments to Black individuals. Colorism is rampant in many South Asian countries, and prejudice is not unheard of, sometimes even within our own families. Thus, we recognize that simply stating we are in solidarity is not enough. We must be actively anti-racist and use our privileges to challenge not only systems of oppression, but the mindsets of those that are complicit with those systems. We must work together to end structural racism, and that can only begin by having those difficult conversations with those who do not understand the Black experience or how they benefit from white institutions. 

We must listen to and support Black voices. We must educate our peers on systemic racism. We must continue the fight for justice for George Floyd, Ahmad Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, David McAtee, James Scurlocks, and the countless other Black people who have lost their lives. Thus, we affirmatively stand in solidarity with the Cornell Black Law Students Association and voice our support for the broader Black Lives Matter movement. Here are some helpful links that explain the role of how black activists and civil rights leaders paved the way for South Asians. 

Here are some helpful links where one can donate to. 

Demand change now: https://www.change.org/p/andy-beshear-justice-for-breonna-taylor

Register to vote: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/us/elections/2020-presidential-election-calendar.html

Reform current police practices: https://8cantwait.org/

Black Lives Matter. Stand up to police brutality and racism. Donate, empathize, advocate. 

In solidarity,

Cornell South Asian Law Students Association