Insisting on Racial Equity

Upon the civil unrest following the death of George Floyd, the agency released a public statement that boldly affirms the stance of racial justice and inclusion at the agency. The statement was developed as an all-staff joint statement with active engagement of staff.

Immediately after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, two staff members of University Settlement painted a large, 10 foot-wide yellow banner with the words “BLACK LIVES MATTER” and hung it on the front of the building. Earl was impressed that staff felt empowered enough to take action on behalf of the organization. That night, the banner was vandalized. In response, staff made a larger sign that additionally include the phrase, “hate has no place here.” That sign was also vandalized. To display resilience and commitment, the agency ordered a 12’ x 18’ yellow vinyl banner and hung it on the front of the building. To this date, the sign has not been vandalized again. This is but one anecdote, but it demonstrates how committed all the staff of University Settlement are to racial justice and equity.