A Message from Our Leaders: Black Lives Matter
Dear Educate! Community,
We wanted to share a note, which we shared internally on Tuesday, June 2nd with our organization, about recent events here in the US, which we imagine you have seen in the news no matter where you live. Like so many people, we're deeply sad and angry about the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota on May 25th. We are also angry about the government's failure to take sufficient action to prosecute the men responsible. And we recognize that this is one of many incidents of police brutality and racial injustice being perpetrated against black men and women in the US.
We believe that as an American-founded organization working in Africa, with a predominantly African staff, we have a special responsibility to speak out against the violence that has been done to people of African descent in the US. Our work is guided by a belief that all students deserve education and opportunity. For our scholars to grow up in a world where this belief is reflected by reality, racial discrimination and injustice must be eradicated in every sector of society. As President Obama said so eloquently in his statement on the matter, this shouldn’t be normal in 2020 America. In the US, we have taken time off to honor the memory of George Floyd, and we encouraged US team members to use this time to participate in whatever forms of activism they feel compelled to.
We are personally grateful for the protesters and activists who are making sure that systems of oppression in the US change and leaders take action to address the issues of racism and discrimination against black Americans. We hope that the activism continues and that meaningful and much-needed change happens in the US. We invite you to join us in our efforts to educate ourselves and each other, give where we can, and stand up for the values we believe in.
Angelica and Boris
