“If the society today allows wrongs to go unchallenged, the impression is created that those wrongs have the approval of the majority.” – Barbara Jordan
CCS stands in solidarity with our Black colleagues, client partners, friends, and greater society to affirm – loudly and unequivocally – that Black lives matter.
We denounce the heinous murders of far too many Black men and women at the hands of police and vigilantes, and we condemn the systemic racism that pervades our country’s institutions and has sanctioned this violence and oppression for too long. The killing of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota; the killing of Ahmaud Arbery by two civilians in Brunswick, Georgia; the killing of Breonna Taylor by police officers in Louisville, Kentucky; and the unjust treatment of Christian Cooper by an individual in Central Park in Manhattan are at the forefront of public consciousness, but these injustices represent only the latest in a long line of brutality and discrimination that are manifestations of systemic racism.
It is impossible to adequately express the outrage, the anguish, and the sadness that is felt throughout our country, especially among Black men and women who live in the constant traumatic nightmare of racial discrimination. But silence is a choice, and it is not an acceptable option. As Dr. King said: “There comes a time when silence is betrayal.” So we must turn our grief, our pain, and our anger into action. If we are to advance as a society, we need to come to terms with the realities of racism in our society and work ceaselessly to challenge the very structures that condone deep-seated racism and perpetuate inequity.
We do not have all the answers. But we all must do better, and we must start with ourselves. As a firm comprised of highly talented, mission-driven people, CCS commits to addressing the gross disparities in the funding of nonprofits that are led by people of color. We commit to working with even more nonprofits that offer opportunity and advancement to communities of color. We commit to leading the way in advancing professionals of color in our firm, in the nonprofit world, and the broader field of philanthropy. And we recommit to making CCS a more welcoming, diverse, and inclusive place to work.
For nearly 75 years, CCS’s mission has been to partner with nonprofit organizations for transformational change, and through this change, improve the lives of people of every race, ethnicity, and station in life. In this historic moment of challenge and uncertainty, we have never been more committed to making this change possible.