News of the horrific and senseless killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor have served as painful reminders that systemic racism and injustice remain a disturbing presence in American life. We at Graves Dougherty share in the profound sadness and anger that so many have already expressed about these three losses, as with the loss of too many others before them. We feel compelled to speak up and join in the rising tide of voices for improvement and change. We stand in solidarity with our Black colleagues, employees, clients and friends of the firm. Black Lives Matter.
We recognize there is much work to be done to end systemic racism not only in our country, but also within the legal profession and in our local communities. This begins with directly acknowledging the injustices and inequities that Black communities face by confronting our own shortcomings. Our firm is committed to work towards equity and justice by listening to our contacts, clients and colleagues in order to learn how we can make a positive change and subsequently implementing the necessary changes to reflect those goals.
Our nation and community face a hard road of confronting the racism and injustice inflicted upon our minority communities not only today, but throughout this country’s history. We pledge to do and be better through action and deed. Hold us accountable.