Standing for Justice and Equality

DLH President & CEO Zach Parker sent the following letter to all employees in response to the recent tragic killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery.

Colleagues,

The recent tragic killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery have been a tipping point. Once again, we are confronted with the pervasiveness of racism in the United States. It has never gone away in our society and the ethnically diverse struggle for justice and equality persists. In business, we also find that African Americans and other minorities remain grossly underrepresented, experience various forms of inequities, and often go unheard.

I think it’s time to talk openly about the challenges … to work together to drive real change.

I encourage you to discuss what business leaders at all levels can say and do to tackle racism in our business, our company, and in our lives including:

• How recent events have impacted the Black community, which includes your peers How to be an authentic ally and drive change
• How to be an inclusive leader embracing our DLH Value of “Inclusion & Diversity”
• How to identify and address systematic racism when we see it in our lives and workplace
• Real-world experiences of Black and Brown families in America (personal case studies)

While I fully recognize that this may be uncomfortable for some, now is not a time to be silent.

Having conversations is just a start. Words are simply not enough. I’d like to hear your ideas on how we can drive meaningful change as a company and as individuals. In the meantime, I encourage you to take the time to learn more about the underlying issues and ways you can take action. There are many sources of good information out there – one I ran across recently from USA Today is entitled 100 Ways You Can Take Action Against Racism Right Now.

Collectively, we can drive positive change and make a difference. Let’s do our part.

Best,

Zach Parker
President & CEO