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Recently we made the decision to update two of our blog posts, which we wrote on June 1 and June 2 in response to the murder of George Floyd by a police officer.
I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge that at the time of the postings, we did not explicitly express solidarity with Black Lives Matter, or say those words without qualification. We feel it incumbent as an organization to address that mistake and missed opportunity, and make clear what should be obvious and uncontested:
Black Lives Matter.
As an organization dedicated to sharing the values championed by protestors across the United States with the newest members of our communities – values like freedom of expression and assembly, bodily autonomy, the guarantee of equal treatment under the law, and of equal protection by a government that serves its people – we join the courageous people who are making their voices heard and say:
Black Lives Matter.
This moment in time has captured and made unavoidable the unequal and frequently inhumane treatment of Black Americans. For decades many have underappreciated the efforts of those doing the hard work of showing up and speaking to the failures and inequities in our system. America and New England have a debt to pay to the Black community. We owe it to those who have labored and sacrificed over the course of many lifetimes to make good on the promise of equal treatment in our shared democracy. This is not a struggle to be borne by Black Americans alone; it is a fight everyone is called to undertake.
The first step is to acknowledge how racism pervades our culture and institutions. The next and harder step is to take meaningful action. At IINE we are having difficult conversations and re-examining our processes to ensure that our organization is welcoming to everyone and that we are living the values we communicate to the people we serve.
IINE proudly stands with the people and movement calling for change, and we look forward to playing our role in making that change a reality. And let me say it again:
Black Lives Matter.
Jeff Thielman
President & CEO
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