From the Desk of the Executive Director.

We all were hoping that 2021 would be a better year— and in some respects it has been. We now have three effective vaccines against Covid-19. Congress passed a relief bill for those adversely affected by the pandemic. However, in the area of social justice, we still have work to do. We’ve all read the headlines, but I was struck by the recent statistic that hate crimes against Asian Americans have risen by nearly 150%, over the past year.

What can we as individuals do to bring about change? We all must be allies in the quest for racial equality. As was discussed at our recent webinar on “Understanding and Eradicating the Roots of Systemic Racism,” we must be prepared to listen and learn from each other. We must be ready to give up our implicit biases and accept that diversity is natural and not to be feared. Although it sounds easy, this process can be difficult.

Please be assured that our agencies are committed to fighting discrimination in all forms and ensuring a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace for all. We are committed to ongoing staff training and learning. Our recent webinar on systemic racism is available on UltiPro. If you have questions or would like to request training on a particular topic related to diversity and inclusion, please feel free to connect with lirosen@ahrc.org.

As always, your feedback and thoughts are welcome.

Sincerely,

Stanfort J. Perry
Executive Director