Last weekend, our CEO David Cancel shared the below email with employees. We thought it was important to share here.
We are sickened by George Floyd’s murder and the continued prevalence of racism. We stand with our Black employees, customers, and community.
As a company, we commit to following up on this post with the actions we will be taking. In the meantime, we are listening and learning.*
#BlackLivesMatter
*As a part of our efforts to amplify Black voices, we will be lending the Drift blog and social channels to people within this community. If you would like to share your voice on this blog, please contact Gail Axelrod at gaxelrod@drift.com.
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“If you are neutral in situations of injustice you have chosen the side of the oppressor”
– Desmond Tutu
Hi all –
I use TSNS to talk about what’s on my mind and what I’m thinking about when it comes to all of you, our company, and our future. My hope is that they inspire and inform.
But this week I struggled with what to write. Because I wanted and needed to use this email to talk about racism and the pain, frustration, grief, and hopelessness that I and likely many of you are feeling. And I wasn’t sure what message I wanted to share.
What I did know is that I needed to speak.
There are two things you’ve heard me say over and over again: We want to be the new face of corporate America, and this ain’t normal.
I was asked on Friday if being Latinx comes into play as CEO. I said yes, every day. Because I went over 10 years without ever working with another Latinx person or even knowing of one that worked in the same industry as me. Not a single one.
Elias and I want to change that. We want to be the role models we didn’t have. That’s why personally and as a company, we’ve chosen to support school-aged underrepresented minorities. Because the only way we’re going to make a change in the world is to go all the way back and show people what paths are possible.
But being the new face of corporate America also means that we speak up when we see injustice.
I usually use the phrase “this ain’t normal” to talk about amazing things we’ve accomplished at Drift. It means something different right now. Because it shouldn’t be normal in 2020 America for Black men and women to fear that by just being in the wrong place at the wrong time, they could be an Ahmaud Arbery, a Breonna Taylor or a George Floyd. It shouldn’t be normal. We need to all work to create a new normal.
So what can we do?
- We can commit not just to fostering a community of diversity, inclusion and respect — but demanding one.
- We can educate ourselves about the history of racism in America by reading books like Freedom Is A Constant Struggle, Beloved and Between The World And Me. (All available from the Drift book club) This document also has additional articles, movies, podcasts and book recommendations.
- We can act by donating to causes like the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Advancement Project, and Color of Change. We can also use this time to call or write to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey or Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and sign petitions at Change.org, Color of Change or text “FLOYD” to 55156. This article also has additional ideas of what we can all do for racial justice.
- Lastly, this doesn’t end this week. We’ll continue to have an open dialogue internally and externally about how we can help support the Black community.
I promise you, we won’t be silent.
What else can we do to help create a new normal?
– DC
On Tuesday, June 16 we’re joining forces with our friends at Wayfair, SmartBear, DraftKings, and Toast to help keep the momentum of the anti-racism movement going. This webinar will be an opportunity for additional introspection and guidance on actions to take both on an individual and company level. Click here or on the image below to sign up.
