Reflection and action --- #BlackLivesMatter
Image: Black Lives Matter mural in Capitol Hill, Seattle // Image Credit: @dislimb / Reddit
Over the past several weeks, the Kinetic West team has joined our fellow Seattleites and people all over the world in expressing sadness and outrage at the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Manuel Ellis, and the many Black lives across the country that have been taken by police violence. We have joined with our community in demonstrating for justice and reflecting on our own roles within a racist, inequitable, and unjust system.
Kinetic West commits to the important work of sustained self-reflection and concrete action. We believe strongly that the practice of anti-racism must be a sustained and integral component of our firm, and will take the following actions as part of this commitment:
First and foremost, we will work to build more anti-racist practices within our firm and within our industry. This means continuous improvement in our hiring practices, professional development, resource allocation, partnerships, and client work. We know that many of our peers and partners in the consulting and social impact industries are also prioritizing this work. We would like to form a community of practice with our peers to share approaches and hold ourselves and each other accountable for action. Please reach out if you’d like to join us.
We support Black-led organizations in our community and are creating a firm-wide giving program. Annually, each employee will direct a portion of Kinetic West’s philanthropic resources to a nonprofit or charity organization of their choice. This year, our giving will focus on Black-led organizations in the Seattle area such as Africatown Community Land Trust and Community Passageways. As a firm, we will pursue ways to deepen our support for these organizations.
We want to express our gratitude for activists and organizations working locally and nationally to create more just and equitable communities. We are inspired by your work and challenged to do more. Black Lives Matter.
Notes:
*We want to call attention to local resources that continue to inform our practice as consultants in our local nonprofit and social impact space: Fakequity, Nonprofit AF, and Trust the Process by Dr. Michelle Majors.
*Kinetic West will close for Juneteenth this year (and annually) for a company-wide day to reflect, honor, and celebrate Black life in our community and country.