Ascendant Stands with Racial Justice
Ascendant Neighborhood Development (AND) stands with Black communities during this critical time in our nation’s history as they speak up and take action against racism. As a community-based organization in Northern Manhattan, we rededicate ourselves to serving our BIPOC community members and partner organizations. We pledge to use our resources to advocate for racial justice and to combat deep systemic injustices in our country.
As COVID-19 continues to disproportionately affect Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), AND recognizes the intersectional nature of systemic inequities that often lead to a lack of resources and further cyclical oppression in BIPOC communities. Our organization will continue to focus on developing affordable housing, advancing economic investment in communities of color, and work towards equitable development throughout Northern Manhattan.
June is Pride Month in New York City, and we stand with the LGBTQIA+ community to demand justice and inclusion for those targeted by bigotry and hate, particularly transgender women of color. We believe that our organization, and others like it, have an obligation to fight for the human rights of those facing prejudice and injustice.
At AND, we take pride in our small, yet diverse staff, and believe that it is our duty to work toward a more socially just future. We continually strive to become better advocates for inclusive and equitable housing policies. We pledge our support in demanding justice, equity, and opportunity for historically oppressed communities. It is our nation’s long and continued history of racial oppression and disenfranchisement that provides the greatest evidence of our collective failure to defeat systematic racism. We all must take action now if we are to succeed in changing this narrative.
We look forward to being part of important social justice conversations, collaborating with community leaders and city officials to continue the momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement. We seek to honor the lives of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless others, by taking action.
Please join us to strengthen justice and equity in Northern Manhattan and across the nation.
Our Pledge:
- Listen to and amplify BIPOC voices in our community.
- Pressure city officials to direct funding to affordable housing and social services for BIPOC communities
- Use our social media platform and community networks to advance anti-racism and social justice
- Partner with like-minded organizations to maximize positive, long-term social and economic impacts within our projects during all phases, from planning and design, to construction and management.
In Solidarity,
AND
