When we laugh or cry together, or when we appreciate a work of art together, we begin to understand each other and differences disappear. Our community, once mostly white and privileged, is increasingly diverse. The goals expressed in the Declaration of Independence state, “…that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are LifeLiberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Only by being empathetic to what injustices and indignities black and other people of color experience on a daily basis can we help heal this nation. Without justice, there is no peace.

What can we do now?


We pledge to create a welcoming culture of equity, diversity and inclusion by

  1. Carefully listening to and sharing the personal stories of our friends of color,
  2. Educating ourselves about institutional racism and unconscious bias and how to effectively combat them,
  3. Proactively rooting out racism and intolerance by speaking out loudly when encountering them,
  4. Promoting forums on topics of racism by experts in the field, and
  5. Advocating for policing and judicial policies that are fair and publicly understood.

Let’s Educate Ourselves – here is a short list of books that have been recommended by multiple groups.

Other educational resources:

More can be found at:

Black Lives Matter website:  https://blacklivesmatter.com/

Black LIves Matter Raised Fist