Today is the Memorial Service to honor the life of George Floyd and to remember the lives of all of those who have died at the hands of police brutality brought on by systemic racism. This is also a day to recommit to ourselves and to each other that George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others whose names we will never know did not die in vain. The brutality they faced at the hands of those who have sworn to serve and protect is all too emblematic of the consistent erasing of humanity that African Americans confront every day. Combatting racism cannot be partisan, parsed for comfort or dismissed as a part of the past. Let today’s service be – not another, but a final – call to America that change must happen now and that these incidents cannot be filed away as just another abuse of power that will be soon forgotten.
Over the last several months we have
watched as this horrible COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately ravaged
communities of color. SKDK teams have been supporting healthcare workers
and caregivers as the pandemic raged and we have seen, up close, how the
majority of those who have died from COVID-19 have been people of color who have
had the least access to consistent, affordable healthcare. Make no mistake, by
allowing this we, as Americans, are saying some lives matter more than others.
We stand in solidarity
with the peaceful protests across all 50
states by people of good will and determination. And we stand in
solidarity with our Black colleagues at SKDK for the incredible pain,
anger and frustration they and their families are experiencing right now.
We are proud of them and our team members who have marched in allegiance
against racial injustice.
White Americans, including our
allies, must open their eyes to the hard truth that Black Americans
live with every day: Racism permeates every aspect of our
society. There are no safe spaces, and destroying this disease is
the only way this country will realize its true greatness.
When President
Trump, who regularly traffics in racism and bigotry, encourages violence and
the use of force against peaceful demonstrators we know we have a painfully
long way to go in this country for justice, opportunity and
equality.
SKDK has been serving clients in the
social services, criminal justice and policing reform space for years. But
we must do more and are committed to doing more as a firm. We counsel our
clients not to make empty promises in defining moments. And neither will
we.
We pledge to re-dedicate ourselves
with our resources and skills to be of service to the causes and leaders who
will help rid our country of the systemic racism that denies dignity to those
most deserving.
We pledge to work harder to change the
elected leadership of this country and to assure that a new President has
allies to help him implement systemic change where only governments can
act.
We pledge to every member of the
SKDK family that we’ve got their backs during this incredibly difficult and
challenging time. But more than that, we reaffirm our commitment to
nurturing an equitable environment where people are not just present but
belong.
May the memory of George Floyd be what drives
our thoughts and prayers today and may the promise of a better future
be what drives our actions tomorrow and forward.