Over the past two weeks, we have witnessed an unprecedented anti-racism movement reclaim the country’s focus. With protests held in all 50 states and multiple countries, the world is finally joining a long overdue conversation, one that our Black, Indigenous and People of Color neighbors have been advocating for for centuries. It is time for us to acknowledge our place and complicity in structures of privilege.

Basilica Hudson condemns racism, police brutality and violence towards the Black community. We stand in solidarity with George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade and the millions more who have suffered at the hands of systemic racism. 

We must do better. 

We are committed to listening, supporting and learning from BIPOC communities and organizations working to advance equity. 

2020 marks the 10-year anniversary and transformation of Basilica Hudson. With the climate crisis now at the forefront of our mission, we commit to engaging in the work that illuminates the intersectionality of environmental and social justice and action, and leveraging our platform to better serve all people in our community and the planet that we share.

Hudson is fortunate to have local leaders and allies working in anti-racism, food security and education. To start, our team has individually committed to making a donation to one of these organizations that are actively engaged in serving the Hudson region, and suggest that you explore and support their important work: 

Kites Nest, Rise Up Kingston, Rolling Grocer 19, Columbia County Sanctuary Movement, Soul Fire Farm, The Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood, Perfect 10 Hudson, Hudson Area Library, Hudson River Housing, Long Table Harvest Operation Unite, New York, Youth FX, Columbia County Habitat for Humanity and the National Bail Fund Network.

We are taking initiative to research and educate ourselves. 

We are ready to listen and learn. 

We must exercise our right to vote. 

The economic and social systems that are responsible for both the degradation of our planet and embedded racial inequities must be dismantled and rebuilt. 

In her recent Washington Post article, policy expert and conservation strategist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson points us clearly into a new direction for 2020:

“To white people who care about maintaining a habitable planet, I need you to become actively anti-racist. I need you to understand that our racial inequality crisis is intertwined with our climate crisis. If we don’t work on both, we will succeed at neither.”

During this moment of collective pause and shared vulnerability, we are humbled. It’s time to be kind to one another, to step up together and to stay safe while gathering at peaceful demonstrations for justice. In order to pursue a just and sustainable future for everyone, we cannot exclude the reality of racial inequality. 

Melissa Auf der Maur  
Co-Founder and Director