The following is a statement from Brianna Brown, Co-Executive Director of Texas Organizing Project (TOP), on the organization recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day this year:
“Today, TOP joins in lifting up the past, present, and futures of Indigenous peoples in not just the United States, but around the world.
“As an organization committed to ending systemic oppression in our country as a result of racial capitalism, TOP recognizes the land we inhabit is fraught with violent stories of Indigenous suffering and resistance against the genocidal tool of colonization.
“Injustices faced by Indigenous communities, both then and now, are a stark reminder of the institutional racism embedded in the U.S. – stemming from instruments of white supremacy, from chattel slavery to our current carceral system.
“TOP now practices land acknowledgments in our work because the land reflects the struggles, the strength, and the stories of the people that continue to shape it. As TOP transforms and unequivocally shifts toward becoming a pro-Black organization, we understand racial justice intersects with the fight for Indigenous rights, immigrants’ rights, and economic justice.
“Through building power across BIPOC communities, we are collectively lifting each other up, learning from our mutual experiences, and fighting for liberation of us all – no matter the color of our skin, the language we speak, or where we call home.”
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About Texas Organizing Project:
TOP organizes Black and Latino communities in Dallas, Harris, Bexar, and Fort Bend counties with the goal of transforming Texas into a state where working people of color have the power and representation they deserve. For more information, visit organizetexas.org.