Below are excerpts from an internal memo earlier this week from Amy Binder to the RF|Binder team regarding the verdict in the trial of George Floyd’s murder.
Over the past couple of days, I have spent a lot of time thinking about the implications of the verdict in the trial regarding George Floyd’s murder. I believe this verdict represents a historic moment, with deep meaning and significance for every American.
Although the verdict was critically important, absolutely necessary and very appropriate, it is important to recognize that justice has not been served more broadly in our society. To finally make some real progress, we need to confront and combat the institutional racism and discrimination that exists in our country today and has existed for centuries.
The past year has been extremely troubling on so many levels. With that said, I am forever an optimist and have been inspired by the actions that have been taken to instill change – from people marching and protesting for rights long denied, to incredible “get out the vote” efforts. But I am also a realist and these marches have been going on for most of my life. The fundamental question is how much progress have we really made over the past 60 years.
Maybe finally we will see some real progress forward. I am heartened to see how many corporate CEOs have come forward over the past few days commending this conviction but also calling out that we as a society need to do so much more. I believe that as individuals, as a firm, and maybe most importantly working together as part of a larger community, we can help have a positive impact and create the equitable society we all want to live in.
As we have stated before, at RF|Binder we have zero tolerance for any form of racism or discrimination. As you all know, our Purpose as a firm is to “empower our people and our clients to have impact.” This Purpose guides how we run our business, how we interact with each other, and how we advise our clients.
As communicators, strategic partners and citizens, we have a unique opportunity to engender action. I have been motivated by the fact that nearly half of our firm has volunteered to be part of our Social Justice Committee and has been working hard to make a difference and address different forms of discrimination and injustice.
We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace, improving diversity at all levels of our organization, and incorporating a social justice mindset into everything we do, from counseling clients to managing operations, suppliers, and partners.
I am looking forward to making progress together.
Amy
