One Year After George Floyd
It’s been one year since George Floyd was brutally murdered at the hands of police on May 25, 2020. One year since tens of millions of Americans took to city streets across the country to protest. One year since organizations and businesses across the spectrum began reckoning with their positions on racial justice. One year since our country – especially white Americans – began wrestling with previously-held opinions and ideas about race.
George Floyd was not the first Black victim of systemic racism, and he was also not the last. Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Sean Reed, Tony McDade, Elijah McCain, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, Philando Castille, Daunte Wright, and so, so many more – incomprehensibly killed by the extensive failures throughout our country’s systems of law and living. For all of us at UPSTREAM, George Floyd’s murder forced us to take a hard look at our mission, what we stand for, and the role we play in building an equitable society. We recognized that we can’t just be an “environmental organization.” That we can care for the planet, but if we don’t also care for the planet’s people, we’re not going to create the world we truly desire.
We desire a world where #BlackLivesMatter isn’t just a movement fighting for equity and justice for Black communities. We desire a world where Black lives truly matter – where Black communities are given the same equity, the same justice, the same treatment, the same access to education and voting rights and healthcare and policies and quality of life as privileged white communities. A world where racism is a tragedy of the past that we learn and grow from for the better.
As we envision this world, we start to understand the real meaning behind the “indisposable” idea that we’ve been building our brand around. It’s not just about the planet being indisposable. Our communities are indisposable. Black lives are indisposable, even though this country has erected systems and structures that continue to treat Black people like they’re disposable. And our work at UPSTREAM has to also be about dismantling these structures – even within our own organization.
We looked inward to understand our own contributions to the system and how we can leverage our privileges to actively support systemic change. And we recognize that this evolution is constantly taking place – our commitment to this movement extends beyond one day or week of reflection. It is ingrained in our daily motivations and our expanding solutions for a healthier, more sustainable world. George Floyd has left a legacy of transformation for organizations like UPSTREAM and for every American who has felt motivated to break down the structures that uphold white supremacy and hold our fellow citizens back.
Today, we want to acknowledge this moment and honor George Floyd and the countless other lives lost to police brutality and violent acts of racism. And we want to express gratitude to you – our community – for continuing this journey with us and for all you do to create an equitable and indisposable future for all of us.
For more resources and how you can get involved in actions in honor of George Floyd’s life, please visit: The George Floyd Memorial Foundation website.
