Hello John,

Playworks is mourning and protesting the unjust killing of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minnesota last week alongside all of you.

We all know this is only one in an untold number of black men and women who have suffered racist treatment by our nation – in 2020 and going back hundreds of years.

Systemic racism is not only a daily threat to the people of color in all of our communities, it is devastating for all of us who believe in justice for all and the value of every human being.

We cannot go back and change the actions that led to so many lives lost. But we can stand up, and say that this must stop. And we know that conversation alone is not enough.

Last year, we created an organization-wide Equity Team, with cross-functional representation. I am a member of that team. The Equity Team challenged all of our teammates to provoke honest and dynamic discourse on diversity and inclusion as a part of our organization-wide commitment to racial equity. We also challenged our teams to take action individually and collectively to create change.

Our Equity Team proposed that we make a series of commitments as an organization. Two of those commitments are top of mind for me in this moment. They reflect how intentional we will be to create sustainable change. 

• We will rigorously examine our practices, learn to recognize how our organization perpetuates inequitable norms, and establish decision-making and operational expectations that firmly act in opposition to inequity. 
• We will partner with divested communities where systemic racism has created so much inequity, and collaborating with them in decision-making as they are most directly affected.

Please join us as we take on this important work. Honest and dynamic dialogue will be essential on our collective path forward. Playworks is still early in our racial equity journey, and we know this work deserves our long-term commitment.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Cushing

Playworks President