Like all of you, Toniic has been reeling these few weeks with the news of yet-another unarmed black person killed by police in America. George Floyd, Breanna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery. The list of names goes on and is too long. And at a time when the world is fighting a global pandemic that disproportionately affects Black Americans, we are reminded that systemic racism plagues our reality.
We are humbled that our members and other investors are looking to us for answers, and we commit to exploring action steps we can take as a community. We have changed the topic of our next community conversation to hold space for deeper understanding of our roles in dismantling systemic racism — through investing and beyond.
We acknowledge that some of our members and partners have been forging pathways to advance racial equity for years and we are honored to amplify their work:
- “Investing to Advance Racial Equity,” Cornerstone Capital
- “Justice, Equity, and Opportunity,” Calvert Impact Capital
- “Racial Justice: What’s Investing Got to Do With It?,” Boston Common Asset Management
- “An Investors’ Guide to Investing for Racial Equity,” Kristin Hull
- Just Mercy, Skoll Foundation
Racism is both systemic and personal. Although we have different backgrounds and experiences, we all have work to do, and sometimes the most important place to start is with ourselves. Especially those with privilege must start with the uncomfortable understanding that if we aren’t dismantling that system, we are perpetuating it.
As with all things at Toniic, we encourage feedback and member contributions to our collective action.