From our homes, and cut off from the care and company of our packmates, we have been witnesses to a nation that is reeling. Amidst the challenges we face in dealing with COVID-19, we are called to confront the heart-wrenching death of George Floyd, coming soon after the killings of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, and the subsequent calls for justice across the nation. For all of us, but especially for Black members of our community, these deaths are yet further evidence of institutionalized racism and injustice in our society. 

Black lives matter, and believing that demands that we not shield our eyes from what is happening around the country and in our own city.

Change happens when people are willing to pause to listen and hear the struggles of their neighbor. It requires us to actively speak out against stereotypes, to use our civic voices to call for change, and to show compassion and empathy for others.

We’ll be working hard on that, and ask you to as well.