Black Lives Matter

As an organization, Elinvar has intentionally focused our work in support of organizations that are fighting for racial justice and equity. The murder of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer has served as a huge wake-up call for us. This is not because we haven’t been aware of the many deaths that came before Mr. Floyd, but because his death, preceded by three months of seeing COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on Black Americans, has shone a light on how much we have not accomplished.

In June 2020 our team discussed how we can do more—because clearly what we have been doing is not enough. We are two white women who recognize the ongoing learning that is part of our role in equity work and two Black women who bring their lived experience to the conversation. This year began with plans to expand our work beyond North Carolina. That plan has changed. Our focus now is on how to make our communities and our state better.

My pledge to you in June was that I was going to find ways to bring people together to quickly identify action points and create plans to implement them. All of our systems are complicit, and it is past time to address policies and laws that diminish the ability of Black Americans to reach their full potential in life. I am not a person who can fix them all – however working together, I believe we can. This summer I attended a DEI training for consultants that built on the previous DEI training I have completed. In addition, my reading continues, and it is alarming to realize that the American history I learned in school was anything but honest or complete.

If you want to join this effort and hold me accountable, please connect with me on LinkedIn where I will share messages on this work in the weeks and months to come. The NC Justice Center is leading advocacy efforts on many fronts so if you are looking for an organization that can help you get involved, I suggest you check them out.