Dear John,

Polaris stands in solidarity with all who are protesting the violence against Black Americans and the systemic injustice in our communities. We mourn the many incidents of police brutality that overwhelmingly plague Black communities. This violation of human rights affects us, our families, our friends, and our neighbors - and victims and survivors of human trafficking we serve.

As an organization that works to end sex and labor trafficking, we are all too often confronted with the human toll of racism and inequity, and the power structures, pervasive attitudes and policies that amplify those inequalities. This cannot stand.

We demand to live in a country where tragedies like the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, David McAtee, Tony McDade and countless, countless others cannot happen. We demand to live in a country where Black people are able to thrive - protected from violence, abuse, and exploitation. We have to change the policies, pervasive attitudes, and power structures that perpetuate systemic inequality. To build a more diverse, just, equitable, and inclusive society for the next generation, we must be part of the efforts to change the systems that allow these abuses to continue. As an organization, we humbly commit to learning, growing, and changing so that we continue to bring these values to life. Black Lives Matter.

Polaris