Message of Support from Firm Co-Chairs

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Like us, many of you spent the weekend watching the news about the protests and riots in many cities throughout the United States. While the events in the past week are directly related to the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minnesota, and the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Steven Taylor, Breonna Taylor, and countless others before him, it would be a mistake for us to view the collective grief and pain of recent events in a vacuum.

This past week is a moment in time, but the public reaction is the result of years of witnessing racism, bigotry and hatred in our society. This problem is not isolated to the United States, but the current situation in the US has made it clear to us that we must make our voices known in our communities, beginning with our BCLP community.

To our black and African American colleagues, friends and family: We see you. We hear you. We grieve with you and we stand with you. We know your experiences have long been ignored and devalued. We are committed to listening with an open mind and open heart while we work to do our part as friends and allies to ensure you are not left alone carrying the weight of a problem you did not create, but the consequences of which you live with every day.

As we suspect is the case for many of you, we do not know all the right things to say or do at times like this, but saying or doing nothing was not an option for us. Silence could send a message that is not consistent with who we are and what we believe. We wanted to show support for our black and African American friends and colleagues, and we wanted to encourage you to do that as well. Send a message that you are thinking of them right now. Ask how they are doing. And if someone wants to talk about their experiences and feelings, listen with an open mind and recognition that everyone’s journey is as important as your own.

In the coming weeks, we will be sending more information about furthering and expanding allyship at BCLP, along with resources and ways we can utilize our collective skills and talents. We want this to be the beginning of an ongoing, meaningful conversation about inequality, because things will only change if we all work together to address these issues through focused efforts that begin with real dialogue combined with thoughtful action to break down the barriers that have marginalized so many for so long.

Thank you, and please stay safe and well.

Lisa and Steve