The societal unrest we are witnessing now as a result of the murder of George Floyd, right on the heels of the horrific deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, brings to the forefront the need to address the racial inequality inherent in our nation’s systems. HumRRO stands firmly against racial bias. We abhor a system that targets and allows violence against Americans of color. We are committed to raising awareness and using our expertise to facilitate change.
I was raised in a suburb of Washington, DC, a child of the ‘60s and ‘70s in a diverse community that represented a broad spectrum of races, ethnic backgrounds, religions, political viewpoints, and sexual preferences. I knew that prejudice existed, of course; it just wasn’t part of my world. But then I started to see its impact on others. As a white woman, although I can empathize and try to foster change in my own small world, there is no way I know what it is really like to be a person of color in America.
However, I am committed to keeping my eyes open, and to continuing to learn about the racism inherent in our broader systems and to do what I can to fight it.
HumRRO is committed to continuing to actively pursue our goals to foster diversity and inclusion which are explicitly part of our strategic plan.
We are committed to offering staff training on unconscious bias and raising awareness of systemic racism; and not as a one-shot deal, but on an ongoing basis.
I am committed to listening to the voices of our colleagues of color, really listening, and trying to understand and learn what action I can take as an individual and as president and CEO of our company. As a result, we have formed two new strategic committees staffed by our employees: one focused on internal diversity and inclusion and the other focused externally on how our work can help address the larger societal issue of racial inequality.
We encourage everyone to closely examine your own unconscious biases and listen and learn. Ask yourself what you can do to foster change. Let’s work together because we are better together.
Suzanne Tsacoumis, Ph.D.
President & CEO, HumRRO
