The confluence of George Floyd’s murder (just the latest in a horrific string of such tragedies in recent months and years), the COVID-19 pandemic – with its disproportional impact on black and brown communities, and the xenophobia and heartlessness on display every day in Washington DC, makes this one of the most (if not the most) troubling of times in American history – especially for our brothers and sisters of color. There is now, and always has been, racial injustice in this country, but somehow even the civil rights struggle of the 1960s seems to pale by comparison.
For those of you who are familiar with Metis’s work, you know that for more than forty years we have been committed to helping our mission-driven clients make a meaningful difference in the lives of the children, families, and communities that they serve. And our principal organizational value is social justice – joining our clients in working toward diversity, equity and inclusion. But these are just words…
In response to the current crisis, we are taking the following initial actions:
- Each staff member at Metis will be given an additional paid day off of their choosing (call it a “day of solidarity”), to do whatever they wish in support of the movement;
- We will be offering four hours of senior-level consulting support (at no charge) to each of our CBO clients; and
- We will be establishing three paid summer internships in George Floyd’s memory to support NYC high school seniors and recent graduates.
We hope that you will consider putting your own actions into place. Perhaps we can stimulate greater movement together.
Stan Schneider, President