Standing Against Racism and Injustice

We want to start by saying to the Black members of the Learning by Giving community: Your lives matter. We support you. We see you. We stand with you. 

Here at Learning by Giving, we have been following the tragic news of the recent murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor. We are deeply saddened by their deaths and angered by the institutional and systemic racism that continues to permeate our country. Learning by Giving stands in solidarity with the Black community and allies across the United States and the world in calling for justice and changes to the systems that continue to brutalize Black people. 

For our most marginalized communities, hardships have been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic over these last few months. Those who bear the weight of this moment are the same who suffer under the most racially inequitable and unjust systems that span American life. 

Yet, across the country, young people are taking their pain, their anger, their anguish, and their calls for justice into the streets to be heard. These protests should appeal to our most fundamental human values and compel leaders across our country to come together in a collective response to once and for all dismantle the structural racism that continues to truly deny justice for all in the United States. 

Learning by Giving believes in the power of young people to drive social change. Our mission is built on diversifying who participates in, and has access to, experiential philanthropy education. The identity and experiences of those with the power to decide how crucial philanthropic resources are distributed matters. We will continue to pursue additional, meaningful ways we can ensure equitable practices across our education network and throughout our organization. 

We commit to using our platform to amplify the voices of our students of color who are driving social change by addressing racial justice and inequality. We will deepen our efforts to listen to, and learn from, these voices leading this call for social and systemic change.

In solidarity,
The Learning by Giving team