November 7, 2024
To our beloved community,
It’s been a roller coaster of a week. From gathering on Saturday for a day of celebration, love and light to an election outcome that is instilling despair, grief and fear. It’s important in this moment to give room for all of it and to give room for one another as we each process in our own ways. As a community, we are capable of holding all of it and holding one another up.
Saturday was a day to honor our true selves and our diverse roots. It was a day to experience and feel the richness of what our communities can be when we celebrate our diversities and come together in shared community. Even while knowing what may come, it was a moment to imagine brighter futures when we work together in service of our collective communities. Folks, we can do this. We know these brighter futures are possible because we experience it every day in our communities.
1. Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) altar to remember our loved ones and ancestors who have passed.
2. Diwali/Tihar altar to find light and hope in the darkness
3. Ritual by Mayan family to ask for blessing to start the event from the four directions, the land, and ancestors.
4. RIT event poster: Diverse Roots, Collective Futures
5. Sanctuary Tree to remember people in migration journey
6. Sanctuary Project printing posters for guests
Our charge now is to ensure that this does not get lost in the short term while we also keep our sights on the long term. Let us work together, support one another, and remember that feeling of joy and possibilities when we stand in solidarity with one another. Let that be our guide and that will be our future.
And for when we need those reminders, we have included some pictures and memories from the event above and below. As we hold these in our minds and remember them, we can imagine the possibilities when we work together. Let us also remember those among us who might be most impacted by forthcoming actions of the newly elected administration. With whatever extra strength or extra energy you may have, let’s share that with one another and invite others in. Together, we can do this and we can chart a path to a brighter future. In fact, we already are.
We had flower crown making, henna, face painting, pumpkin decoration, open house tours, food and drinks from around the world (Eritrea, Palestine, Cuba, and Hong Kong), and performances from Haiti, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Guatemala.
With our deepest love and gratitude.
RIT Team
You can stay engaged by:
Volunteering - reftrans.org/apply
Donating - reftrans.org/give