MYPI Social Justice and Equity statement
MYPI is committed to talking to our youth about the long history of racism in America and empowering them to realize that they can be part of the solution. We are looking to our leaders to inform us on the actions we can take, the impact we can have. We stand strong in denouncing racism and injustice and hold ourselves and encourage our communities to:
Fight injustice and racism
Work together to dismantle unjust systems of oppression
Engage in difficult conversations
Become more aware of our own biases
Be part of the solution to this long-standing problem
Throughout our MYPI existence, we have heard first hand from our black youth about their experiences with racial inequities and how they and their families have been affected. While America has made some progress in the 60 years since the civil rights movement, recent events including George Floyd’s death reminds us that racial injustice remains an ever-present challenge for our nation. We know that no community in America, including the Muslim community, is free from this harmful bias. Our brothers, our sisters, our children should not have to live in fear, unsure how they will be treated based on the color of their skin.
Our Muslim communities have long struggled to uphold the ummah envisioned by our beloved prophet Muhammad(S). We need to do better. We need to take action. The intent and the ideas to do better have always been there. Now is our time, our calling, to address existing inequities and spark positive impact.
We strongly believe that it is impossible for humanity to advance, if inequalities remain.
To begin the impact, MYPI commits to
work to remove institutional barriers for youth of color to succeed
embrace and respect the dignity and diversity of each individual within our community
question assumptions and examine our own biases
challenge systems of power and oppression
confront discrimination against our own or another person’s identity
We thank our community and ask for their support and ask them to stand with us
MYPI is committed to ensuring that all of our MYPI family feel welcome, safe and supported. We will have serious conversations about the actions we need to take to be part of the impact.
Our programming is centered on racial justice. We have a program called Rays of Light and the key approach is understanding how each part of this organization has an active role in ensuring community-conscious equity within our programming. Especially as MYPI continually embraces and strives for justice in all its forms in pursuit of a just and equitable ummah. MYPI is a bridge between the needs of Muslim youth immigrants and refugees in Colorado and the services that are needed for youth to meet those needs. In terms of justice and equity, MYPI’s diverse Board of Directors and even more diverse Advisory Board represent a diverse range of voices and experiences from the Muslim community in Colorado. In the Board of Directors, we have members with backgrounds ranging from Afghanistan and Pakistan to Somalia and Palestine and the United States. We are a representation of many races and colors proud to work with one another.. A big for MYPI is to ensure all the voices in the Muslim youth community are better represented through programming that targets specific groups that we hope to engage more in order to advance our goals of equity and justice. For example, we are making efforts to engage more with the African American Muslim community through specific services that address injustices against this historically marginalized group and through representation on the leadership boards. Consequently, MYPI will continue to diversify and fairly meet the needs of the Muslim youth and their families.