A Letter to Our Community

Dear EQUUS Community,

These last two weeks have left us deeply saddened. We have been called forward as an organization and as individuals to soul search and take an honest moral inventory, to reveal our unconscious incompetencies around racism and the blinders of our white privilege. Silence makes us complicit inside a pervasive paradigm of oppression around the world, and thus we feel compelled to contribute our voice in our commitment to end violence in all its forms.

Black Lives Matter. Period. Until we as a nation, and we as a world community end racism, and oppression, then none of us are free and none of our lives matter. We all can do so much better than this. Black Lives Matter is more than words or a movement, it is a heartful invitation for all humans to rise in unity in commitment to our highest dignity. We stand in solidarity with the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Eric Garner, and the many others whose lives were cut short due to oppressive violence.

At EQUUS, we are in the business of courageously pushing outside of comfort zones into the possibility of true transformation. Now more than ever our world is being pushed beyond the comfort zones of our ignorance, our fear, our intolerance. And here is where the hope lies. Because what we know at EQUUS is just beyond the fray of the comfort zone is a whole new world.

We invite each of you, to courageously push outside of your comfort zone too. Speak up. Speak out. Learn. Be vulnerable. Educate (without shaming).

Here is what we at EQUUS are doing (so far):

  • Donating to the NAACP, America’s premier organization fighting for racial justice and equality.

  • Providing opportunities inside our organization to explore issues of diversity, equality, and racial literacy.

  • Posting anti-racism resources and educational materials on our website.

  • Using our social media platforms to promote anti-racism.

And if you are a white person looking for ways to help, a list of suggestions called “75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice”.  This list, compiled and continuously updated by Corinne Shutack, is excellent for Americans who are looking for ways to take action.

We look forward to more dialog with you about this issue. We welcome your feedback, your suggestions, and your comments.

Warmly,

Kelly