1/24/2025
Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Loved Ones,
My heart is heavy as I watch the legacies of justice, progress, and perseverance that our Kupuna our ancestors and elders fought so hard to establish, be systematically eroded with each stroke of a pen. A deep sense of loss, grief, and fear sits like a weight in my chest, as I witness the relentless dismantling of rights that so many before us bled and sacrificed for. It feels as though justice is being auctioned off in the back rooms of power, each right sold at a steep cost.
The removal of longstanding protections for vulnerable populations is a crisis that threatens the safety, dignity, and rights of millions. As an organization committed to supporting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, sex trafficking, and community violence, we know the realworld consequences of such actions. These policies foster fear and uncertainty, particularly for people of the historically oppressed: People of the Global Majority, women, LGBTQ Two Spirit relatives, immigrants, refugees, and those impacted by Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
For generations, these protections have been the bedrock of human dignity and social justice in this country. To see them stripped away is not just a legal or political issue it is a profound violation of human rights that risks destabilizing the progress we’ve worked so hard to achieve. This rollback represents a grave setback, one that will echo through generations to come.
As leaders, we are often called to offer hope, to provide direction, and to inspire action in the face of adversity. This is vital, and it’s a responsibility I take seriously. But before we race forward to address what comes next, I invite you to pause. Let us slow down together, take a breath, and acknowledge the magnitude of this moment. It’s okay to grieve. It’s okay to feel anger or betrayal, it’s okay to feel weary. It’s okay to admit that you don’t have the energy to keep up. We are human, and we must honor our own limits.
As a therapist and Clinical Director, I’ve learned that grief cannot be rushed. In times like these, we must resist the temptation to become all consumed by anger, numb the pain or to rush past the hurt. This is not a time for quick fixes, but a time to lean into one another into our communities for comfort, for support, and for collective wellbeing.
Healing is not a solitary journey. It is a community-based process that requires us to gather, to hold space for one another, and to strengthen the bonds that empower us. I’ve coined a term, Persistent Toxic Systems & Environments™ (PTSE), to describe the constant exposure to environments and systems that erode our mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being. These daily stresses and traumas can feel inescapable. But the antidote to PTSE is what I call Community Activated Medicine™ (CAM) the practice of recognizing that the medicine we need to heal already exists within us and within our communities. It is through our connection to each other, through safe spaces for vulnerability and healing, that we find our strength.
Now, more than ever, we must act with intention and collective care We know from history that cycles of power are never permanent. Like our ancestors before us, we will find a way through this. And we will do so together, by holding onto the practices and principles that have sustained us for generations.
Our Call to Action to Prioritize Your Peace & Purpose:
Grieve Collectively: Make time to allow yourself to feel, process, and make sense of your losses, pain, and heaviness. Honor your ancestors’ stories of strength and sorrow. Allow yourself the space to process, feel, and release what we are facing, knowing that it is a necessary part of the journey.
Protect Your Peace & Joy: Take deliberate actions to safeguard your mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Set boundaries where needed and prioritize your joy, healing, and creativity This may look like limiting your news intake, harmful conversations, avoiding or minimizing time spent in environments or spaces where you may not feel safe.
Create a Rhythm of Rest: Engage in community-driven practices of wellness and relational wellbeing. We are launching new initiatives over the coming months to facilitate communitybased mental health care, rooted in healing, health justice, hope, and empowerment. Our work will co-create spaces for individuals to connect, find support, and activate their inner strength through collective resilience.
Deepen Community Care: As we face adversity, we must come together in solidarity. By collaborating with local organizations, coalition building, organizing, share meals together, accessing mental health professionals, faith and cultural keepers, and advocates, we will expand our efforts to provide accessible care, education, and resources.
The work ahead will not be easy, and it will require all of us. But if we draw from our stories, and support from one another and from the generations that came before us, we will endure. Together, we will heal. Together, we will rise. Together, we will find strength. There is power in our peace and presence.
“When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” – Audre Lorde
Now is not the time to give up or let the divisions between us take root in our hearts and minds. Together, let's move forward with purpose, united in the spirit of healing and a shared commitment to protecting our fundamental rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
In solidarity and heart,
Lea S. Denny, HonsD, MS, LPC, NCC, NMT CEO, Clinical Director, Founder HIR Wellness Institute