To our East Bay community of residents, partners, grassroots leaders and elected officials:
The Y&H Soda Foundation believes that the 265,000 Black lives in the East Bay matter, and when Black lives thrive in our region, we all thrive.
Before the pandemic, we were painfully aware that not all communities were given the same opportunities to participate in our economy and political system. Today, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must seize this critical moment to advance racial equity and social justice in bold and transformative ways. We are proud that our region sparked the Black Lives Matter movement – a movement that is now the largest in American history. This is not an accident. For decades, Black leaders and leaders of color have worked diligently to sound the alarm of injustice in our backyard. While many more people are listening to this heightened call for justice, our actions in this moment will define who we are and what we stand for as an East Bay community.
We at the Y&H Soda Foundation are pleased to support leaders in the East Bay that strive diligently for equity and justice for the Black community. We as an East Bay foundation are therefore committed to:
Listening more intently to Black leaders and community voices and investing more deeply in their work.
Embedding equity and justice as guiding values to our grantmaking in Black communities and communities of color.
Engaging with foundations, civic leaders and community voices committed to building an East Bay economy and public sector that works for everyone.
Communicating our goals, strategies, successes, failures and insights on our own equity journey.
As CEO, I look forward to being an ally with you as we explore ways to build grassroots leadership, advance systems change, challenge anti-blackness and dismantle structural racism. As the son of immigrants from Mexico, I underscore this message in Spanish, “Tu lucha es mi lucha” - “Your struggle is our struggle.” The Y & H Soda Foundation remains committed to working with all of you to build the power and voice of the beautiful and diverse people who choose to call the East Bay their home.
Luis Arteaga
Chief Executive Officer