Our Statement of Support for Communities Affected by Racial Violence
IMPACT Personal Safety of Colorado was founded on the belief that everyone is entitled to be safe in this world. No one deserves to be the victim of violence, and all of us must learn to not only protect ourselves, but to protect others.
We teach our students that a vital part of self defense is yelling “NO!”. Yelling sets a firm boundary and helps you find your voice, your breath, your power. As an organization, we proclaim a definitive, directive, and immediate “NO!” in the face of the violence rooted in systems of oppression field by conscious and unconscious bias against people of color in America, and we add our voices to those condemning the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and untold others. We stand in solidarity with the communities affected by racial violence, including those communities that have been disproportionately devastated by the pandemic. We support your right to use your voice and yell your truths to the world. We are listening. Our organization is dedicated to restoring empowerment and choice by equipping everyone we can reach with emotional, verbal, and physical self-protective skills.
Self care is the process of finding help when you need it. We believe that self care is the culmination of the act of setting a boundary, defending yourself, or speaking your truth. This can mean staying home or going out, as each person identifies for themselves, to stay healthy and safe.
Therefore, we hope victims of violence, assault, abuse, and microaggressions can find ways to ground themselves right now when there is so much trauma and pain in the world. We honor and join those doing the work of changing our culture right now. Imagine a world in which human beings can more deeply and authentically connect with one another, no matter what their differences; a world where all are able to freely declare their individual boundaries and reclaim their inherent right and responsibility to universal safety and well-being.
