“No, no, we are not satisfied and will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
— The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “I Have a Dream” speech, August 28, 1963.
Dr. King’s dream was that America would fulfill its promise that “all men — black men as well as white men — would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
His monumental speech can be distilled, in a sense, to three simple but powerful words: Black Lives Matter.
We are disgusted and heartbroken by the recent murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, and we condemn racism and injustice towards the black community from any corner. Police brutality must stop.
The right to assemble and protest — and freedom of speech and of the press — is a Constitutional right enshrined for all Americans in the First Amendment.
Words are important but deeds are most powerful and more should be done. Lenz for three decades has worked to help build healthier, safer, and stronger communities. But no, no, we are not satisfied. We are forming a task force with the following pledge:
- To listen and understand. We will work to educate our company top to bottom on racism and its effects.
- To push for justice. We will work within our communities to emphasize equal justice and law enforcement regardless of race.
- To create additional economic opportunities for minorities and minority owned businesses through Lenz’s hiring and business practices, including the use of an outside consultant for guidance.
- To continue our long history of support and donations to a wide array of community and philanthropic organizations and initiatives, in the areas of economic disparity, education, healthcare, and the environment.
This work is just the start, but we are committed to the long-term journey of building a more equitable, peaceful, and prosperous society for all.