NEWS AND EVENTS

Enough is Enough

Enough is enough.

We at Tandem are horrified by the senseless killing of George Floyd and the many others before him at the hands of police officers.  We are disgusted by the ugliness of systemic racism that has divided this country for far too long.  As an agency that reflects principles of diversity and inclusion, this is deeply personal for us.  Racism and intolerance impact our employees, our families and our clients and we have a responsibility to help eliminate this divisive problem from our country once and for all.

As a first step, we held an open discussion among our staff.  Those of us who are black, explained our first hand experiences with racism and intolerance.  We explained our concerns for our children and what we tell them every day hoping to keep them safe.  Those of us who are white listened intently and expressed genuine and heartfelt reactions to the stories that were shared.  We created an open space for everyone to speak freely, and more importantly, to listen and to learn.

Racism is not an inherent human characteristic, but rather a taught way of thinking and treating others.  All Americans must look in the mirror and choose to stand together to address the issues facing black and other people of color in our country.  Silence is not an option. Inaction is not an option.  Activism and awareness that disappears with the passage of time is not an option.  Instead, we must keep having the difficult conversations. We must keep listening. We must keep standing up for what is right.  We must take action.

As such, Tandem will strive to be a positive force for change from this day forward.

As an organization, we are making a donation to Campaign Zero to end police violence nationwide, and we have each signed the Petition for Justice for George Floyd.

We are also committing:

To learn from and respect everyone’s personal point of view.

To be active and engaged in the political process.

To stand arm-in-arm with those who have been oppressed and targeted.

And to do our part to affect meaningful change.

Enough is enough.