Nichols Kaster is outraged by the murder of George Floyd in our own community. And Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia. And Breonna Taylor in Kentucky. And on and on and on. Far too often, systems of power disproportionately oppress, punish, and commit violence against people of color, and, particularly, black people.
Martin Luther King, Jr. said that rioting is the voice of the unheard. There have been too many offers of thoughts and prayers without more. Too many times where people say the right words and offer nothing else. And nothing changes. And the unspeakable happens again. Social change will not happen overnight or come easy. But the responsibility to oppose and root out racism—overt, implicit, and systemic—is fiercely urgent. Excuses must be set aside. The time to act is now. It always has been.
We mourn for George Floyd and his loved ones. And our hearts go out to everyone—including members of our Nichols Kaster family—affected by the fires, vandalism, and disruptions to everyday life. Together we will find our way.