The killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis was another brutal death in a long string of senseless killings of Black men and women at the hands of police officers. The nationwide protests sparked by his killing are understandable, as this is far from an isolated incident.
Here in North Texas, for example, we honor the memory of Botham Jean, an exceptional young employee at PwC. We honor the memory of Jordan Edwards, a 15-year-old boy and a model Mesquite High School student. We honor the memory of Atatiana Jefferson, a pre-med graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana. All of them were killed by white police officers. We must never forget their names and faces, for they were young and primed for successful lives and would have made this world a better place.
The pain and suffering of generations of Black Americans runs deep. It shows itself in many forms. Violent and non-violent. Overt and subtle. In our schools and in our Boardrooms. The problems are deep-seeded and systemic, and they require our constant focus.
Our mission is to make the Dallas Region the best place in the United States to live, work, and do business. That mission must apply to all people. We at the DRC live this every day through our good work on education, workforce development, and in underserved communities in our region. It’s why we’ve put a major emphasis on the diversity of our staff and our leadership programs, and why we are working diligently to increase diversity on our board. It’s why we have a session every year on implicit bias. It is not enough. We must do more, both in how we approach these issues in our community, and within the business community. We must lead, not just with words or thoughts and prayers, but with meaningful action.
We resolve to listen, to learn, and to help lead change in the Dallas Region.