June 2020
Dear Members of the ERDI Community,
We are writing to express the collective anger and dismay we have felt as the facts emerge about the brutal and senseless death of George Floyd. His death is on the heels of so much other prior senseless violence against countless victims across our Nation. Our hearts are heavy as another life is added to the indefensible list of people who have died as a result of racist violence. The events happening in our country are painful, and they ignite an urgent call to action for all of us to stand together to change structural and institutional racism—no matter its form. As an ERDI community, dedicated to serving and supporting all children, we must strengthen our collective voice and commit to disrupting the current reality that our students, colleagues, and employees of color experience every day.
We believe the time is now for us to redouble our collective efforts to change the practices and behaviors that repeatedly marginalize and create injustices for people of color. As education leaders and solution providers, and others who support the work of education, we have the powerful potential to create meaningful change. The immediate action we can all take as an ERDI Community is to inform our work and education efforts through lenses of equity, access, and social justice. By cultivating empathy and deep understanding, we are uniquely positioned to build bridges, support healing and champion meaningful and lasting change.
ERDI stands as an ally in this important work, and as former President Barack Obama recently wrote in his statement on the current state of affairs, it is our collective responsibility "to work together to create a 'new normal' in which the legacy of bigotry and unequal treatment no longer infects our institutions or our hearts."
We’ve shared a growing list of resources to support students, staff, and families in the wake of racial violence. Feel free to add additional resources to the list that might also be of help to others in the ERDI Community. As you each lead in your respective communities and business sectors, please let us know if we can be of any support to you during these challenging times. We are #BetterTogether.
Dear Members of the ERDI Community,
We are writing to express the collective anger and dismay we have felt as the facts emerge about the brutal and senseless death of George Floyd. His death is on the heels of so much other prior senseless violence against countless victims across our Nation. Our hearts are heavy as another life is added to the indefensible list of people who have died as a result of racist violence. The events happening in our country are painful, and they ignite an urgent call to action for all of us to stand together to change structural and institutional racism—no matter its form. As an ERDI community, dedicated to serving and supporting all children, we must strengthen our collective voice and commit to disrupting the current reality that our students, colleagues, and employees of color experience every day.
We believe the time is now for us to redouble our collective efforts to change the practices and behaviors that repeatedly marginalize and create injustices for people of color. As education leaders and solution providers, and others who support the work of education, we have the powerful potential to create meaningful change. The immediate action we can all take as an ERDI Community is to inform our work and education efforts through lenses of equity, access, and social justice. By cultivating empathy and deep understanding, we are uniquely positioned to build bridges, support healing and champion meaningful and lasting change.
ERDI stands as an ally in this important work, and as former President Barack Obama recently wrote in his statement on the current state of affairs, it is our collective responsibility "to work together to create a 'new normal' in which the legacy of bigotry and unequal treatment no longer infects our institutions or our hearts."
We’ve shared a growing list of resources to support students, staff, and families in the wake of racial violence. Feel free to add additional resources to the list that might also be of help to others in the ERDI Community. As you each lead in your respective communities and business sectors, please let us know if we can be of any support to you during these challenging times. We are #BetterTogether.
