Our Fraternity is many things to us: a home, a connection, a safe haven, but now we must use our letters as a platform to better our communities. In recent months, we’ve seen videos of people being murdered by those who took an oath to serve and protect and by people who took it upon themselves to “protect” their communities. People should not have to worry about whether or not they may not come home from a jog. People should not have to worry if going to the store means a death sentence. All of this is wrong and it is a byproduct of the systemic-racism that plagues this nation. We as a Latino-based multicultural fraternity, with “Cultural Awareness” as one of our four Pillars, write this memo, not only for our Black-identifying Brothers, but for the Black Community. As a culturally diverse fraternity, we stand with you. As Brothers of the Most Honorable Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity, Inc., we stand with you. As people of the nation who seek peace and justice for all, we stand with you. These times may be turbulent, but we can only hope and work towards a better tomorrow.
To the families who have lost sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, aunts, and uncles to racism and police brutality: Our hearts are with you. We sympathize with you and send our deepest condolences for all of your losses. No one should be taken away by a system that is supposed to protect, not only you, but all of us. You may not find solace in our words, but we do hope that your families find peace and justice in this world.
To our Black Brothers: Know that you are loved and cherished in this fraternity. We are family and we want you to know that you matter, that Black Lives Matter.
To our Brothers in Blue: This memo is not one against the police, it is one against those who use the badge and the solemn oath to perpetuate racism and brutality against communities of color-specifically the Black Community. We understand that you all are doing your best to uphold, not only your pledge to the fraternity but your pledge to serve the communities and uphold the honorable title of “PeaceKeeper”. We celebrate you and other officers who see the injustices and act upon them from within. Please, continue to make those waves and changes because those waves will eventually break and leave nothing, but peaceful waters.
Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity Inc. sends our condolences to the family of Ahmaud Arbery and to the family of George Floyd. We hope that their families receive swift justice and we, as a fraternity, admonish all those who twist and warp the justice system for their own disgusting uses. As a Fraternity, we have sent our condolences to families impacted by acts such as these in the past. As a Fraternity, we push our Brothers to continue engaging in their communities so we do not have to continue offering our condolences. Systematic-racism cannot continue in our world so we will stand together as one because divided, we will fall.
Black Lives Matter
Sincerely,
A Caring Brother
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”― Edmund Burke