AYU and USAU Community Centered Approach to Racial Justice

OUR RESPONSE TO RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO AURORA POLICE VIOLENCE

Dear Ultimate Community,

Earlier this summer, USA Ultimate, Altitude Youth Ultimate and other local disc organizations around the country stood in solidarity with Black members of the ultimate community in denouncing the police violence and systemic racism that has afflicted the Black community for centuries and continues to marginalize them to this day. It is clear that all lives can’t matter until Black Lives Matter. We as a community are committed to taking action and prioritizing work around anti-racism and inclusion, recognizing their critical role in the integrity of our sport’s culture, and we welcome your candid thoughts and involvement as we strive to create meaningful change for BIPOC communities.

In response to the racist acts of violence by the Aurora Police Department – some of which made national news –  and to concerns for safety from within our community, Altitude Youth Ultimate/Colorado Ultimate recently hosted an independently moderated focus group featuring Black members of the local and national ultimate community and non-ultimate players living in Aurora, Colo. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss what USAU and AYU could do, not just to create a safe and inclusive environment for BIPOC at events hosted in Aurora and at the Aurora Sports Park, but also to actively support and engage with people in the community.

After hearing recommendations from the group and having several internal conversations, USAU and AYU have put together a list of commitments to advance our progress in serving BIPOC communities. We have also provided expanded descriptions of each organization’s commitments.

OUR COMMITMENT IN RESPONSE TO THE AURORA TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOCUS GROUP

The more we delve into this work, the more we learn from our mistakes and recognize the challenges we face, as a predominantly white community, in transforming our culture and our sport. We continue to learn, grow, understand and progress, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to work together – through honest, collaborative dialogue and actions – to make meaningful progress.

Actively listening to our community – especially those most impacted by bias, prejudice, institutional inequities and systemic oppression – will make this work stronger. We strive for a day when a player’s ability to access the sport and feel a true sense of belonging both on and off the field can in no way be impacted by race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion or socioeconomic status. We have a tremendous amount of work to do. We thank you for your partnership, participation and patience.

Sincerely,

USA Ultimate and Altitude Youth Ultimate

Real progress requires broad community involvement. Please reach out to us if you would like to be a part of implementing these commitments.