We acknowledge that this nation was built through greed, violence, and the theft of land and labor.

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We offer our deep respect to the original peoples of what is now called San Diego: the past, present, and future Luiseño, Cahuilla, Cupeño, Kumeyaay, and Northern Diegueño cultural groups. These communities have endured violence and forcible displacement from the lands they have cared for since time immemorial. We honor their resilience, their enduring stewardship, and their teachings of reciprocity and balance with the Earth. We affirm their knowledge that we are not separate from the natural world, but a part of it.

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We also acknowledge that this nation’s wealth was built through the enslavement of Black and Indigenous peoples and the exploitation of workers from China, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Philippines. Today, our economic systems continue to depend on the underpaid and coerced labor of those harmed by the U.S. (in)justice system, as well as the labor of exploited adults and children across the globe.

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Facing these truths is our shared responsibility. We commit to confronting these systems, dismantling injustice where we can, and working toward a future that honors all people and the Earth upon which we depend.