Black Lives Matter – A message of solidarity and commitment to equity

Our hearts are heavy and, bluntly, we are angry about the injustices in our country carried out each day toward people of color. Lives are senselessly and repeatedly taken. Right now, at a time when words feel inadequate, we simply wanted to reach out to you – our community. Project Access NOW stands in support and solidarity with peaceful demonstrators responding to the murder of George Floyd and against the sustained oppression of the BIPOC community. We believe we share a collective responsibility – as we strive to make each day and each action count – to be in service to the following values:

• Inclusion, Equity and Diversity – We honor the fundamental value and dignity of all who we work with and serve. We strive to create an environment that respects and includes diverse perspectives, traditions and experiences. We commit to furthering equity throughout our organization.
• Celebration – Our success depends on the contributions of each team member. We honor and care for one another as a community and celebrate our individual and collective accomplishments.
• Flexibility and Resilience – We are adaptive and resilient as we encounter changing circumstances. We seek and embrace new ideas with enthusiasm and draw on the strength of our diversity for solutions that are enterprising and dynamic.
• Transparency in Leadership – We listen with intention to understand, providing timely and open communication about organizational decisions. We strive to build an inclusive organization in which leadership actively seeks staff engagement and input.
• Creativity and Innovation – As a growing organization, we nurture an environment where creativity, persistence, risk-taking, patience, caring, and the desire to contribute are encouraged and embraced.

During this troubling time, we would also like to share a few resources that have helped us process the pain and violence – and find constructive ways to get more deeply involved.

• “How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change” by President Barack Obama
• “How to Help Black Lives Matter: 9 Things You Can Do for the George Floyd Protesters Right Now” by Christopher Zara
• “To Stop, Listen, and Act: How You Can Help Protesters and Black Lives Matter Groups” by IndieWire
• “Have Nonprofit and Philanthropy Become the ‘White Moderate’ that Dr. King Warned Us About?” by Vu Le
• Reflections from the Oregon Health Equity Alliance
• Justice in June

We will continue to fight against systemic racism in health care and be an ally to the most vulnerable in our communities. We will continue to work to have a more equitable and inclusive organization. We will listen and act with open minds and open hearts.