We are heartbroken and maddened by the events taking place across the country. The recent deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor are tragic events in a long series of injustices that have yet again exposed the layers of historical prejudice and systemic racism that Black people endure in our country.
White silence has been a privilege and it has to stop. As a predominantly white firm in a predominately white profession, we recognize that more action on our part is needed. And the action needed most from us in this moment is to not center the narrative on ourselves. Instead, we must stand with the Black community and listen deeply to their stories, to their struggles, and to their solutions. Only through listening to lived experiences can we do the difficult work of learning about and changing our role in perpetuating the status quo.
While Abacus has long been committed to diversity and inclusion, it is clearer today than ever our efforts have been inadequate. As a firm we commit to taking a deep look internally, investing time and resources to implement new, intentional, long-term strategies.
We are evaluating our behavior, both as individuals and a company, to make actionable change. We are asking ourselves questions like:
- What does it mean to truly be an ally?
- What does it mean to be privileged?
- How does my silence about racial identity in my personal and professional life contribute to systemic racism?
- How are we facilitating safe conversations about structural racism within our company?
- What practices do we have in place to create an inclusive environment for our team members and clients who are Black and People of Color?
We acknowledge our responsibility to be part of the solution. As a firm, we commit to doing the ongoing work of deeply understanding the connections between a legacy of inequitable systems in the US, and how these structural legacies intersect with our work as professionals inside the financial services sector. As we deepen our commitment, we will be humble, purposeful, and focused on how we expand what is possible for wealth creation and equity.
Please expect to hear from us again as our efforts evolve.
