George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Sean Reed and Tony McDade and all the other victims of America's systematic racial violence against Black people reaching back to Emmitt Till and beyond.  We must say their names and we must remember them.  We are deeply saddened and outraged by the actions and circumstances that have led to so much death.  We are in pain, the losses are great, and the inequities are all to apparent.

Silence is complicity and we will not be silent.  We are witnessing the institutional racism that plagues this country; and yet, it has been the everyday reality for many people.  We condemn in no uncertain terms the racist violence that leads to the countless deaths of Black people and other people of color. 

In philanthropy, we have called for equity and justice, but we have not committed to them. While we have tried, we have not tried hard enough.  In this moment, we need to embrace learning so that we can more fully change and more fully love.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also laid bare the injustices and inequities in our local communities. We will continue to support policy and systems change that provides a path to equity and creates meaningful and long-lasting change.  The path of progress isn’t clear or simple. But moving forward on that path today is more critical than ever. It requires boldness and resilience — relentlessness and humility.

We ask for your help and support as we move forward. Our communities deserve nothing less than our full commitment.  We ask you to:

Affirm that Black lives matter.

Find and build partnerships with organizations that dismantle anti-black bias and advance racial equity.

Make financial contributions to these organizations.

Demand that the United States reinstate and fortify DOJ's Civil Rights Division policies that defend the rights of Black and Brown people of this nation.

Jim Becker, President and CEO

Jeff Gagnon, Board Chair

Cynthia LeBlanc, Board Vice-Chair

Richard Hong, Treasurer

Jorge Reyes, Secretary