It’s hard to acknowledge just a single moment in an evening full of memorable moments. However, between having many of our founding members and board members join Dr. Val on stage, to having the city of Boston designate September 27th as Dr. Valerie Batts day, to embracing the powerful visioning at the hands and heart of Bishop Barber, I’m certainly feeling infused with renewed excitement, energy, and appreciation. I couldn't help but express my deep gratitude for Dr. Val’s trailblazing leadership and unwavering commitment to civil rights - from LGBTQ+ equality to racial justice to economic justice and the poor people's movement - our unity with one another. Her dedication continues to inspire our movement.

The event also provided an opportunity to connect with incredible storytellers who are using their platforms to shift hearts and minds. The brilliant Vernā Meyers, whose storytelling through her podcasts as well as her daily efforts through her work has brought inclusion and belonging into millions of homes. And then there was the prophetic Bishop Barber whose encouragement and hopefulness matches seamlessly with advocacy. Bishop Barber reminded all of us that vision is dreaming with action. How appropriate that VISIONS has had a vision of a more equitable world where differences are valued and we have a common awareness of and language for addressing issues of difference, where communities listen more, always seeking to understand each other first, and growing in their curiosities of each other’s perspective, AND, VISIONS has been acting toward this goal for the past four decades. We will share video snippets of the event at a later date.

At a time in our lives when we ALL need positivity and hope, the evening reminded us that with our collective action and in community, anything is possible. Our history has shown that when we are seen, understood and accepted, positive change follows. Our mission has been to support the creation of environments where differences are recognized, understood, appreciated and utilized for the benefit of all.

We celebrate these moments of progress especially in light of the harsh realities that face our communities. For example, as HRC reminds us: The FBI's recent release of its annual hate crime report for 2023 is a tough reminder of all the work we still have ahead. This information is sobering, with a significant increase in hate crimes targeting individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. These statistics aren't just numbers – these are real people who have faced violence and discrimination simply for being who they are. We have seen similar with the violence felt by Haitian immigrants in Springfield and around the United States. Around the world, we are reminded of the dire realities of everyday life and your fate based merely on your country of birth.

With less than 20 days until the election, these challenges take on a new urgency. Recent reports have highlighted potential threats to many historically excluded communities that could emerge in our near future, including the removal of federal protections based on gender identity, limited access to crucial medical care for the transgender community, removal of some immigrants who lawfully reside in the United States based on their home country. The stakes couldn't be higher.

Nevertheless, many things give me hope: I look back at the rich history of VISIONS and the maturity of our model, the wisdom of our consultants, board, staff, and the brilliance of our founders - and our entire community - and I have hope that we will continue to find a way forward and that we are needed as much as ever! And, as we looked around the room at our milestone event on September 27th, we saw the beautiful diversity and it was such a reminder of how it feels to be in true community. When our communities have been attacked before, we've always emerged stronger. We are capable of writing the next chapter of our history. We are powerful. We need to vote for the country and world we hope to live in.

As we move forward, I hope we can carry the spirit many of us felt at the 40th anniversary celebration...it was one of community and collaboration. Earlier that day, our VISIONS community met to work on our strategic plan. I hope we can carry forward the spirit of innovation/creativity, partnership, and care.  Let's harness the power of visibility and storytelling that has driven our progress thus far. We need to continue to stay committed to the dream of a future that our vision has hoped for and believed in for many decades.

As we inch closer to election time, Kimberle Crenshaw’s words from her acceptance speech when accepting the WEB Dubois Award at Harvard comes to mind:

“We have to fight against the selective use of ‘comfort’ to suppress uncomfortable conversations, whether it is about death and destruction in Tulsa 100 years ago, or about death and destruction in the Middle East today. We have to fight against the forced occupation of our minds as much as we fight over the control of our bodies. And when we commemorate our towering figures, our noteworthy victories, our enduring stories, it is the lessons, the concepts, the ideas that are bequeathed to us—the hard fought literacy to define and name our reality in order to transform it that we should value.”

Lastly, I just have to say - I love knowing that every September 27th moving forward is Dr. Valerie Batts Day in Boston - a day where we can come together and both honor the legacy and impacts of our incredible Founding Director Emerita and Founding Consultant, as well as find ways to serve her legacy.

With hope and action and only forward together, 

Elika

P.S. Especially now that the 40th anniversary celebration has passed, I realized how many more individuals I’d love to meet. And as we move into our next 40 years (and beyond!), I wanted to more thoughtfully introduce myself to each one of you. Please see my “get to know me” video here.

P.P.S. Click here to visit Vote.org/ppc to check your registration, register to vote, request an absentee ballot, check what’s on your ballot, and get election reminders to make sure you’re where you need to be on election day.

You can also help spread the word among your friends, family, and social networks.

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