The deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless others are unconscionable displays of systemic racism. At Pullman we responded to recent events first by engaging in an internal dialogue to express our horror and our grief in hopes of finding a way to better use our resources to fight racism. Now, we are prepared to make our commitment publicly.
We know the road ahead is hard. We know that our society’s very systems are sustained by a foundation built with the labor and suffering of enslaved human beings. This is a task for the long haul. We will not quit. We stand with the Black Lives Matter movement and all organizations fighting against racism and racial injustice. We are focused on our goal of being a more perfect union, nationally, locally and within our firm.
At Pullman, we are not large, but we are bold and committed. To that end, we pledge to the following:
- We are in discussions with several community groups and allies to lend our support to impact litigation that will strike at a core piece of society that has impaired the ability of the Black community to claim its rightful and equal place at the American table. Our goals are to break down the barriers formed by structural racism, and use the litigation as an educational tool for our lawyers and staff so that each of us can be an ambassador for the cause we are pursuing.
- Additionally, we are pursuing a calendar of enrichment, education and activism to help each of us become a better citizen of the world and more able to engage in the difficult conversations our community so badly needs us to continue. Because of the entrenched nature of institutional racism, we cannot allow the rituals of everyday life to lull us back into complacency. Complacency is the enemy of progress and the ally of the status quo. With the help of a learning curriculum focused on being anti-racist, we can continue to rise to the challenges before us. We will keep learning so that we can keep doing.
- We will continue to improve our own policies and actions at all levels, including our supplier diversity initiative and our ongoing programs for diversity in recruitment and promotion.
It is time for meaningful action. We stand committed to action now, and in the months and years ahead.