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Thoughts on recent events

June 2, 2020 in Community | 2 min. read
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Hello. Rarely do I post publicly on matters of the world, but this weekend the world changed... again. 

Below is a message I sent to the company Sunday morning. I’d like to share it with the Unity community so you know how we’re thinking about recent events at Unity.

In honor of #BlackOutTuesday, we’re suspending all social media today, and have pushed out all news announcements until next week.  

5/31/2020

All, 

We’re not in anything even approaching a normal time. I find I wake up these last few days feeling sad, disappointed, and angry with my fellow humans. We’re better than this.

What happened last week in Minneapolis is simply horrible. It should not have happened. It seems the result of decades of inattention to racism and lack of protection for the Black community. As a nation, and perhaps as a planet, we’ve not even begun to tackle the tough, underlying problems that make these horrible incidents possible, and sadly, all too frequent.  

I know we all stand in solidarity with George Floyd, his family, and for those who have suffered a similar fate in the past.

Disappointed, sad, angry. We are better than this.

I am sure many of you feel the same. Feeling betrayed by this happening again, and worried this incident will be swept under the rug of history, like so many similar tragedies in the past. 

But, I think we can do something. First, we can reach out inside of Unity. Reach out to your colleagues to talk about it. Consider joining one of Unity’s Employee Resource Groups as a member or supporter and ally. You can also make use of some of Unity’s EAP programs. At Unity, we’ve launched programs on Diversity and Inclusion. We talk about Empathy, Respect, and Opportunity. And, of these, Empathy and Respect are most critical when we’re going through a time of crisis. I know we’re all dedicated to ensuring that happens at Unity, in the right way. We’ll be setting up meetings this week to provide a safe place for people to talk, and find support. 

I don’t have any answers today. I wish I did. As you enter this week, I have one request: A moment of silence and recognition for George Floyd, his family, and for those that suffered a similar fate in the past. And, as you go about your week inside of Unity, take an extra moment to be sure to show the empathy and respect all our colleagues deserve.

John

June 2, 2020 in Community | 2 min. read

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