We are heartbroken and angry. We recognize that the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery are among the latest in centuries of violence against Black lives. Soh Daiko stands in solidarity with the Black community, in support of protesters seeking justice and reformation, and in commitment to the call for systemic change.
Our name was derived from a core belief of peace, harmony, and working together. In the words of Yuri Kochiyama, a true ally through her life of dedicated social justice activism, “Remember that consciousness is power. Consciousness is education and knowledge. Consciousness is becoming aware.” As we seek to unite people through our music, we are committing to recognizing the intersections of our communities, acknowledging the ways that the Asian American community has benefited from the activism of the Black community, and ultimately listening and making room for new ideas and actions for realizing equality.
To this end, we are continuing to educate ourselves on how to be active and informed allies to the Black community. Resources that we have found to be helpful starting points are listed below.
Further, we encourage our followers to step up for your local community by supporting Black-owned businesses, and by getting involved in the fight for justice in any way you can. For our neighbors in NYC, we have included lists of Black-owned businesses among our resources below.
In an effort to give space for Black voices, we have postponed the rest of our virtual Soh Daiko on Tour series. We look forward to a time when we can perform for you all in person and raise our voices, together, in the fight for equal justice.
Educational resources:
20+ Allyship Actions for Asians to Show Up for the Black Community Right Now by Michelle Kim
Anti-Racism for Asians by Ellie Yang Camp
Resources to get involved:
Blacklivesmatter.carrd.co
https://linktr.ee/NationalResourcesList
Lista of Black-owned Businesses to Support in NYC & Beyond:
https://linktr.ee/buyblack30
https://www.theinfatuation.com/features/support-nyc-black-owned-restaurants
https://www.blackownedbrooklyn.com/
https://www.eatokra.com/
https://shoppeblack.us/
http://eboneats.com/
