…to stop talking about the injustices we see.
As we honored one year of working remote due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I was reminded by a colleague earlier this week that some things from 2020 are important to remember. 2020 was arguably the largest global civil rights movement in modern history and yet, only three months into 2021 we find ourselves again at the threshold of violent racism.
It should not take a deadly shooting in Atlanta to remind us that racism is still alive and rampant. We must remember the difficult things so that we can take them forward with us in our ongoing journey to search for and do what is right. So that when we see, hear, or know of injustices around our country, across our states, and in our communities, we can speak up and stand up against it.
By speaking up and standing together, we can #StopAsianHate.
…our work is never done.
Yesterday we officially launched a new research project surveying DEI practices and policies in the credit union industry. Afterwards, our Filene leadership team discussed the importance of cultivating a mindset of DEI at Filene, and while we touched upon the murders of six Asian women in Atlanta, we didn’t fully honor the moment.
We failed to recognize that we are all in the middle of yet another painful moment as a targeted attack on any ethnicity is an attack on the human condition.
We failed to recognize that we are all in the middle of yet another painful moment as a targeted attack on any ethnicity is an attack on the human condition. While I am proud of the ground-breaking work Filene leads on the critical issue of DEI for credit unions - we can and should do more.
We must seek out help from our partners to lift the human condition to its fullest potential. We must do more than just say words. It will take listening. It will require action, not just research. We must continue our work to build a diverse, equitable and inclusive mindset within ourselves and within our organizations.
The impact of our work can and will shine a light that there is more love than hate in this world.
Best,
Mark
President + CEO
