Over the last couple weeks, we’ve experienced deep anger and sadness following the murder of George Floyd. And simultaneously, we’ve been inspired and felt a surge of hopefulness at seeing the response of our nation, fed up with systemic racism and police brutality, standing together to protest for long overdue change. How do we hold on to these disparate feelings, images, realities? And what do we do with them? 

One thing is certain: this hatred, this intolerance, this complete and willful ignorance — it must end. 

While George’s name has dominated the news cycle in the US, there are countless others, here and around the world, who like George, have suffered simply because of the color of their skin. We aren’t experts in this matter, nor do we have the answers for how we keep the momentum from recent protests to enact lasting change. Regardless, we feel it’s necessary to communicate our unequivocal and unwavering solidarity with the Black community. 

As a global institution, the diversity of our students and alumni is what makes us what we are — in fact, it’s one of our greatest strengths. As an organization, we are turning a critical gaze inwards, asking ourselves how we can do better to acknowledge and address the ways in which systemic racism clouds our vision and holds us back from reaching our collective potential. 

There are many organizations with extensive experience in addressing racism, civil rights, and creating opportunities for the Black community while amplifying their voices — and they are far more deserving of the spotlight at this moment than we are. For that reason we’ve donated to Black Girls Code, Black & Brown Founders, and the National Museum of African American History & Culture. We are taking time to listen to them, to donate, to reflect, to internalize our own faults, and take action — and we implore those in our Quantic community to do the same.