The recent murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police and white supremacists have brought about great pain throughout the nation including within my family. There are countless others killed, beaten, and otherwise brutalized at the hands of the police. We are pained by the systemic racism that has been a regular part of American society throughout its history. We as a society have a long way to go in ending the institutionalized racism against Black Americans in every aspect of society; from government, to business, to education, to employment, to entertainment, and more.
Here at Pasha International, we want to do what we can in using our small platform as a family-owned business to advocate for Black lives and to use our revenue to support movements that fight for social justice and black empowerment. Many of our Black brothers and sisters who are out on the streets protesting and demanding change across the country are being met with violence and arrests by their local police officers. Many of them are detained until their trials and cannot afford to post cash bail and leave. As such, we will be donating to local organizations in Philadelphia that have been, and continue to fight to end cash bail. Specifically, we will be donating to the Philadelphia Bail Fund.
The Philadelphia Bail Fund’s goal is to bring an end to cash bail. Until then, they work on posting bail for those who cannot afford it until their trial. Those arrested and cannot afford bail face major disruptions in their life such as a loss of housing, jobs, and custody. Research has shown that those who cannot afford bail are more likely to plead guilty even if they are innocent and the evidence against them is weak. This is a system designed to exploit poor people.
In light of the protests that have taken place across the country, the Philadelphia Bail Fund has received over $1.2M recently which is being used to post bail for people arrested while protesting in Philadelphia. This helps ensure that they are able to return home.
We will be collecting the revenue from any sales we make on ANY of our products and donating it entirely to the Philadelphia Bail Fund from now until next Wednesday (6/10/2020). It is our duty and responsibility to stand up and speak out and act on behalf of those who are oppressed in any way we can.
“Time is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor. Truth is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor. You don't need anything else.” -Malcolm X