(This article was originally published on the International Examiner and has been reprinted with permission.)
Former Gov. Gary Locke was the keynote speaker at the October 18, 2021, Eradicate Hate Conference, which gathered hundreds of attendees at the Pittsburgh Convention Center. The event, held on a date close to the anniversary of the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh on October 27, 2018, brought together people and organizations from around the world that were having the most significant impact in combating hate, preventing hate crimes, and providing justice for the victims of such crimes. The following is Locke’s speech, printed in the International Examiner with permission.
(This article originally appeared on the International Examiner website and has been reprinted under an agreement.)
The International Examiner (IE) and the South Seattle Emerald are excited to announce they have received a $50,000 grant from the City of Seattle Human Services Department to work together on producing content in 2022. The focus of this content will be to address anti-Asian racism, including verbal and physical assaults and hate crimes.
It was just a year ago when Refugee Artisan Initiative’s (RAI) six artisans rapidly switched their handmade jewelry and clothing operation to make boxes brimming with cloth masks. In April 2020, COVID-19 had shut down the United States and Washington State hospitals were strained. There was a shortage of personal protection equipment like N95 and disposable masks that had to be reserved for healthcare professionals. Though the debate about whether to mask up was in high gear (and continues to be), to RAI founder and Executive Director Ming-Ming Tung-Edelman it was clear that masking up was not just a precaution but a responsibility.
With a background in biology and a part-time job as a pharmacist, Tung-Edelman could see the pandemic looming even before official lockdowns silenced roadways and sent cities into isolation. When the PPE shortage became apparent, Tung-Edelman saw an opportunity for RAI’s artisans to respond to an urgent local need. It was a “perfect storm,” she said of the mask shortage and COVID-19 precautions meeting the specific skill set of RAI’s artisans.
