Letter from former Board member Justin Forrest Parks
*A note: Justin formally stepped down from the SHIFT Board of Directors and called for Christian’s resignation on April 14th*
Dear Friends & Family,
It breaks my heart that SHIFTjh, the Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) and it’s Executive Director (Christian Beckwith) have caused so much harm to our sisters, siblings and communities that I love. It is because of the damage and harm to Black, Brown & Indigenous Bodies, Womxn of the Global Majority, Womxn of Color and Trans and Non-Binary Individuals that I call for SHIFT’s Board of Directors to remove Christian as the Executive Director of SHIFT.
Seventeen folx have written letters describing traumatic, racist, sexist, ablest and transphobic experiences within the ELP program, at the SHIFT Conference and within direct communication and interaction with Christian Beckwith. These letters are posted at this link: medium.com/wont-take-shift-anymore. I apologize deeply to all whom have been affected and hurt throughout the years and for my actions that have supported the continuation of this dangerous space. I had such hopes and dreams for what this space could have been but I’ve now realized that my actions of trying to “fix” this space in certain ways have signaled to others that this was a space space for QTBIPOC Folx, when in reality it was/is no where close. I deeply apologize and take full responsibilities for my actions and the harm that it has caused. I send extreme amounts of love and wishes of healing to the Women of Color and the Trans and Non-binary Individuals who have felt pain from our actions and this space but continue to hold us accountable, especially the men of color in the JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion) work and continue to do the work of pushing change, breaking down systems and fighting white supremacy and the patriarchy often without thanks, appreciation, or respect.
So many thanks and love to Bam Mendiola, Tortuga Roundhouse Kick Voladora, Olivia VanDamme, Jasmine Kumalah Stammes, Pınar Ateş Sinopoulos-Lloyd, Danielle Sky, Melise Edwards-Welbourn, Sarah Shimazaki, Grace Hannah Anderson, Anahí Naranjo and many others for speaking out and bringing this forward to the public to make sure the harm no long continues for others in this program, in this space and by Christian.
