Putting Words Into Action

By: Mike Farber

For Black Americans, racism, excessive use of force by police and death is a daily way of life. Systemic racism has poisoned our country for generations. The horrific murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery have put this truth into the consciousness of millions of people with the privilege to have never encountered this reality. As optimists with a bias towards action, we believe this moment can be different and sustainable. It must be different and sustainable. Millions of lives count on it. We can take immediate action. Listen. Learn. Protest loudly. Donate generously. Vote in every election — state and local officials largely regulate the courts and police. But ultimately, we must each look within ourselves, dig in and be the change.

We are empowering our team to do everything they can to participate in the Black Lives Matter movement — paid time-off for any cause, including protests; making and matching contributions; sharing learning resources; and conducting small group discussions. Our industry and company are not nearly diverse enough — we are taking short and long term steps to remedy this shortcoming. We are also encouraging our team to apply the talents that we bring to our clients every day — writing, organizing, speaking, pitching the media, social media — to the grassroots organizations they care about. As President Barack Obama said, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” Now is the time.