At Gene Juarez we aspire to lift the human spirit by revealing beauty inside and out. We aim to be purposeful in all that we do, with a particular focus on empowering people. This week we have taken time to seriously consider our response to the Black Lives Matter Movement with a special focus on our responsibility as a Company to improve lives through empowerment. We have concluded that simply stating support for communities of color, or this movement in general, feels insufficient without a plan of action to address inequity and racism in the areas where we have influence.
Our position on the Black Lives Matter movement:
WE STAND WITH THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
Respect, Equality and Empowerment are fundamental to who we are.
We will not tolerate racism, violence or hatred.
Our commitment to these values is unwavering now and always.
Beginning today, we will:
- Form a cross-company team to examine our student, guest and employee practices for empowerment opportunities
- Evaluate and execute upon prioritized opportunities to improve our mindsets, process sets and skill sets regarding any systemic inequities we find
- Promote and support volunteerism for peaceful movements that empower people going forward
- Create an employee-directed matching fund that leverages giving from our guests and our employees to amplify our impact
It will take sustained focus from many in our communities to do this work. You have our commitment that we will continue to seek out ways to empower our employees, students and guests to enact lasting change.
