Dear friends of Wilder,
Our hearts remain heavy as we mourn the senseless and brutal killing of George Floyd. Yet our spirits are heartened at the global upswell of unified voices calling for real change.
We stand with Mr. Floyd’s family, with Black, Indigenous and communities of color, and with the millions of people around the world in demanding justice and an end to systemic racism. Simply put, Black Lives Matter.
In the days since Mr. Floyd died, Wilder has reflected on our values as an organization. Our commitment to racial equity stems from our longstanding mission to support the community without any form of discrimination or prejudice. To fulfill that mission, we will continue to:
- Use our resources, position and privilege to advance equity within our institution and throughout our community.
- Provide research and services that address racial disparities in mental health support, housing stability, early childhood education, and healthy aging.
- Join partner organizations and coalitions to advocate for racial equity.
But we can, and must, do more.
We acknowledge Wilder’s historical ties to oppression of Indigenous peoples and that some actions along our 114-year journey have adversely affected Black, Indigenous and communities of color. We renew our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and pledge to take the following actions:
- We will share our spaces with community groups and organizations requiring infrastructure to provide immediate community relief.
- We will increase purchases of services, materials and consulting from businesses owned by people of color, women, veterans, and/or persons with disabilities.
- We will review our employee benefits program and encourage employees to be involved in community work and social justice issues.
- We will examine the history of our organization through a racial equity lens to inform how we engage in racial equity work.
- We will publish information about our staff demographics annually and hold ourselves accountable to retain a workforce that is representative of the diversity of our community.
These are small steps on our journey to be a stronger force for racial equity. Nothing we say or do will bring back George Floyd or any of the countless lives taken without cause or justice. Yet that will not stop us from working toward a future where all people and all institutions recognize that Black Lives Matter.
