In the year since our letter in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement
Dear Reader,
In the year since releasing our letter in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, the United States and the world have experienced more racially motivated violence than any one person can truly comprehend. It is heartbreaking and disturbing that this continues to be the reality many people of color continue to endure. And while it can be uncomfortable, and even painful at times to even acknowledge this reality we all share a collective responsibility to do so.
As a solutions organization, Clean Production Action (CPA) is committed to understanding the entirety of the problem. We all live and work in a global society and a global marketplace that has been built on and continues to operate within the context of systemic racism. Climate, toxics, and sustainability work, in general, cannot ignore the realities of this racism. It is wrong to do so. We must fully recognize and understand that an economy dependent on toxic chemicals is also dependent on inequity. It is our responsibility as change-makers to call out these nuances of the toxic chemicals in the economy we strive to eliminate. Doing that requires more than solidarity statements.
CPA’s journey to address systemic racism has started shared learning opportunities like anti-racism and bias training and workshops to increase personal awareness of the structural and systemic racism that endangers the everyday lives of BIPOC and perpetuates a toxic consumer marketplace. In doing so CPA strives to better inform our work to make long-lasting equitable change and to create an organizational culture in which POC will feel welcomed, valued, respected, and heard.
This year CPA is dedicated to advancing this work by exploring new opportunities to engage vulnerable communities, further developing strategic alignment in each program to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion frameworks, and continuing to provide shared learning opportunities for staff so that one day these values are totally and completely embedded in all that we do.
I am very proud of the ways CPA has stepped up to this work in the past 12 months and look forward to continuing to shift our future towards one that is more diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
Kayla Williams
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Lead
Clean Production Action