Dear EWF Community,
The murder of George Floyd is just the latest in a long history of institutionalized violence against the Black community. There is no question that racism is institutional, systemic, and pervasive. No one stands outside that system. Accordingly, we all have a part to play in dismantling it – especially white people, who have benefitted most from it.
We are committed to doing that work.
We remember the stolen lives of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Botham Jean, and countless other mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters whose names we do not know.
We stand as allies with our friends, clients, community members, colleagues, and neighbors who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color, publicly rejecting racism and all its tenets.
We call on fellow white members of our community to join us in this, to publicly reject racism, do the work to understand their part in perpetuating the system, and to intentionally diversify their networks and their spheres of influence and power.
- Want more info and training on being a true ally? Excellent resources include:
- Be the Bridge, a non-profit organization focused on racial healing, equity, and reconciliation.
- I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
- The 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge
- Looking for what you can do to support social justice? Here’s a link to a great resource list.
Black, Indigenous, and women of color face pervasive and substantial barriers to achievement in the workplace, and Black women face greater barriers than other groups. We know this from the data, and from listening to the experiences of our friends, colleagues, and clients of color. We have intentionally focused on creating a more diverse and inclusive community, and recognize that there’s much work left to do.
Our commitments to doing that work:
- We commit to continue to diversify our board, our customer base, our communities, and our perspectives, and to building a more inclusive culture.
- We commit to ensuring that our programming addresses the unique and institutional challenges faced by women of color, so that they may have equal access to the authority, power, and influence required for advancement.
- We commit to continue amplifying the voices of all women of color.
We recognize that this is not a quick fix. It is a lifelong journey that requires constant learning, humility, investment, and work. We will make mistakes. We commit to doing it anyway.
We resolve to listen, to learn, make space, and do the work – starting with ourselves.
Sincerely,
Tanis Cornell, CEO & Jennifer Carter, President