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Colleagues,
Today marks the anniversary of George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis. In the year since that horrific day, we’ve joined in collective outrage and demands for justice. We’ve taken a hard look at what we can do to more directly address the disparities and injustices in our region. And we’ve mourned as others have been murdered in our communities.
George Floyd should be alive today. His killing is a reminder that we are a long way from a just society that honors the humanity of Black men and women. That addresses the American legacy of racism and injustice.
We need to be urgent and vocal advocates for change. I’ve written to you before about the small, but important, steps we’re taking to be better partners in advocating for economic prosperity, about the ways we’re spending our budget to further embed principles of equity in our work, and about our willingness to hear from our customers and neighbors about whether they feel safe on our transit system and when interacting with our police officers.
But progress is slow and may feel non-existent at times. I acknowledge that some of you feel that way, and I encourage you to continue to challenge the status quo in our work and to keep asking the difficult questions.
Governor Walz has proclaimed today George Floyd Memorial Day and asked all of us to take 9 minutes and 29 seconds of silence at 1 p.m. I encourage you to participate in this collective commemoration of George Floyd and all the lives we’ve lost to racism and violence.
Please take time today to mark this anniversary in ways that are meaningful to you. Whether that’s being silent this afternoon, attending a community event, spending time with your family, volunteering, or otherwise connecting with important people in your life.
Give yourself the grace of feeling whatever you feel today. Give yourself space to process what it means to you, to people you love, to your community. You may not even know to expect what you feel. That’s okay. That’s the beauty and pain of being human. And it’s what makes each of us valuable assets to our work.
Avoid scheduling important meetings today – in fact, if you have any, maybe reschedule them and encourage colleagues to take the breaks they need today. You may find you have a hard time focusing on your work.
Listen to those cues and give yourself a break. Step away from your computer and your phone. Get outside. Be present.
Check in with your friends and family. Comfort people in your life who may need extra support today. Lean on your own support system, your faith community if you have one, and other community connections.
Take advantage of the Fit for Life sessions related to the impacts of racism, conversations about racism, and healing, as well as other employee-based conversations, including those sponsored by Equity & Inclusion team staff at Metro Transit in the coming days.
A community vigil is planned for tonight at George Floyd Square, along with many other community events marking this day. I encourage you to do what feels right for you, even if that means setting aside the fight for justice for a few hours to pause and reflect, to hold George Floyd in your heart.
We’ll get back to the fight tomorrow. Take care of yourselves and one another today. Thank you for your commitment to justice for the people of our region and the work you do every day to make it a better place for everyone.
Sincerely,
Charlie
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