On Tuesday, a jury came back with a verdict of guilty in the murder of George Floyd. This has been a trying and stressful time for our nation. Some will want to move on, as if this chapter is now behind us. But the reckoning on our behaviors, history, and prejudices does not convene with this trial. The ills of our society are not imprisoned with a single person. Pledges were made by our Y in the Summer of 2020 that will be seen through:
· We will not allow the hurt of our community go unheard and we will be better in our daily lives with all those we encounter.
· We will take action by working to promote equity in our communities and collaborate more with our local and national community partners to combat inequities locally, nationally and globally.
· We will heed the Y's core values to be caring, honest, respectful, and responsible during this time of crisis.
George Floyd’s life mattered; but if we truly believe that Black Lives Matter then the assurance that justice will be served when a life is lost is not enough; we need to assure that our communities are doing everything in their power to both preserve and better lives of our Black community members.
At the Y we strengthen communities. How we do that sometimes depends on the context, but today that means challenging each other. Having accountability for our actions. Seek out institutional racism wherever it may be and eliminating it. Not shying away from difficult conversations with those we care about who disagree with us. Join us, not just in our fight against racism, but in creating a community that is anti-racist. A community that can take on those challenges would truly be stronger for it.