Our Promise to Fairfield County in the Wake of George Floyd's Murder

George Floyd’s murder, and this moment in history, have once again shaken us to our core. We are sad, exasperated and angry. We work with families like the Floyds every day, and our hearts break for them as they grieve their loss. The continued bloodshed and systemic injustice black men and women suffer must stop, now. 

Those who haven’t experienced racism can’t imagine what it’s like. As such, we are committed to taking time to learn, understand, and open ourselves up to new perspectives. We are not afraid to engage in conversations about systemic racism or the need for equity and accountability - at all levels.

Our United Way has spent years working closely with communities of color, working hand-in-hand to better people’s lives.  In fact, one of the core missions of our work is to keep children safe from violence, and remedy the systemic inequality that grips far too many. Through our work, we seek to empower people who are being disenfranchised by a lack of access to health care, education, employment and housing.

While statements are necessary, we strongly believe that this is a time for action. So, what will we do?

• We will seek accountability and transparency in all institutions of government, including the police, and on a local, state and federal level.

• We will continue to advocate for justice, support organizations advancing equity, and promote completion of the census and nonpartisan voter registration. Change will come more swiftly when citizens’ voices are heard and they are empowered to exercise their right to vote.

• We will continue our work to create healthy support systems around children so that they can thrive. This begins by working together to build safe and secure communities with access to quality health care that looks at the whole of a child, including mental health; early childhood development and literacy; and equal access to quality curriculum, particularly STEM.

• We will engage in further training to understand our own conscious and unconscious biases as we work hard, every day, to support those who are experiencing it.

• We will practice the change we seek to realize, which is found in the integrity of the work we do every day in our Fairfield County, Connecticut community – in the way we interact with and treat each other and seek to continually learn and open ourselves up to different perspectives.

• We will embrace the rich variety of voices that represent the communities we serve by continuing to diversify our staff, board and committees. We will continue to make a concerted effort to provide equal employment opportunities.

While we will work hard to be a constructive part of the larger societal conversations, we recognize that we have a responsibility to play our part here at home, at the local level, especially when the spotlight isn’t on us. That’s where you will find us – working to bring as much light, love and hope to those living in the shadows of our systems. The struggle continues, and our work must as well -- every moment of every day.