Dear neighbors,
Collective Impact Lincoln was created in the spirit of listening to and learning from our neighbors, connecting Lincolnites to resources and power structures within our city, and helping foster resident-led change. As we mourn the death of George Floyd and, most recently, James Scurlock of Omaha, we stand with you to say Black lives matter.
We know the past week has been difficult and exhausting, and that our communities – especially our Black friends and neighbors – have experienced these tensions firsthand, every day, for generations. Our neighborhoods are among the most diverse in Lincoln, and they are disproportionately affected by structural inequalities that include police brutality and lack of nationwide accountability for violence against Black people.
The mission of Collective Impact Lincoln – to lift up our city’s core neighborhoods so community members can lead positive change – has never been clearer. Today, we are renewing our pledge to work alongside you to realize that change. We don’t pretend to have all the answers. That’s why we are continuing to listen, so we can learn, and then organize and mobilize alongside our communities for lasting change. In that spirit, we want to hear from you.
What does justice look like?
How do our city leaders need to respond?
What actions can we take – as individuals, as a group, or as a city as a whole – to eradicate the racial injustices that necessitate protest?
The power of Collective Impact Lincoln is in harnessing the energy and strength of our city’s historic neighborhoods so that formerly unheard or ignored Lincolnites are seen and heard. So please take this opportunity to share. You can email me directly at nancy.petitto@civicnebraska.org. Or, if you want to connect with Collective Impact Lincoln’s community organizers, they are ready to hear from you. Our contact info is at civicnebraska.org/impact.
There are no strings attached. We’re here to listen.
Isabel Salas, Everett & Near South: isabel@lincolnsouthdowntown.org
José Lemus, University Place & Hartley: jose.lemus@civicnebraska.org
Vic Klafter, Belmont & Clinton: vklafter@neappleseed.org
Nora Brown, Belmont & Clinton: nbrown@neappleseed.org
Read the full statement here.