Trayvon Martin.
Eric Garner.
Philando Castile.
Freddie Gray.
We say their names, because their lives mattered.
Atatiana Jefferson.
Alton Sterling.
Michelle Cusseaux.
Aura Rosser.
Lives stolen by systemic racism.
Stephon Clark.
Ahmaud Arbery.
Breonna Taylor.
George Floyd.
They are not symbols. They are fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters, killed for the color of their skin.
They are not alone. Millions of names – of lives – stolen by systemic racism that has been prevalent in this nation for decades and centuries.
Our society is at a defining moment. We carry the responsibility for who we will be in our collective future, and that begins within each one of us. This conversation must be had, again and again, until it becomes unnecessary.
Our company has the obligation to use our modest platform to say their names, to say that their lives mattered, and that their deaths are unacceptable. Our conscience requires us to speak out in the face of the destruction and loss of life caused by a deeply unjust system, and in our commitment to changing it. If we insist on fairness and equality for all people in this country, then men and women won’t be killed because they are black and there won’t be their deaths to subsequently mourn and protest.
Lighthouse Life isn’t neutral, and we want all those who do business with us to know it. We aren’t taking political positions. We aren’t interpreting the Constitution or the words or personal histories of the founders of this nation; this moment transcends all politics and interpretations.
It is time to stand up and advocate that basic human rights be once and for all enshrined and protected for every person in this nation. We imagine, and want to take part in creating, a world, a nation, a community and a business – that emulates the simple principal that every single life matters.
Lighthouse Life is immediately taking the following steps:
- “We Say Their Names: Black Lives Matter” will be posted across the top of our company’s website with a link to a special webpage dedicated to this important subject. It will include this statement, ways for visitors to learn about and participate in the Black Lives Matter movement, and actionable anti-racism resources. We will maintain this webpage and update it regularly, with contributions of ideas, links, and articles from our employees; and
- Our company’s offices will be closed on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, for Election Day. We believe citizens in a free society should be given every chance to participate in their democracy by voting, and this is our way of expressing that belief.
We don’t know how impactful our voices or these actions will be. We will keep asking ourselves what else we can do or say. We are at this painful moment because of our contribution to the collective silence – because we looked away – for too long. It is this moment that the silence ends and actions begin. From here we listen, we speak up – and we say their names.