We are numb. We have been here before. Again?
Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the death of George Floyd at the hands of the police. Like Philando Castile, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, and countless Black men and women who’ve been killed, George Floyd’s death represents what we so profoundly see in many of our communities, particularly now that the COVID pandemic has further laid bare the institutional racism and disparities that we have long known deprive our communities of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
At our core, we believe in hope, we believe in creating community assets, and we believe in a sense of self-reliance. We have worked hard at PPL to ground that mission in racial equity, driven by community voice. Painfully, we experienced some building damage as our community flexed its voice. The residents who live with us in that community will be forever scarred. As one of our staff stated, we shouldn't have to "break things in order to create things."
George Floyd's face is the face of our communities. He is our residents, he is our students, he is our staff, he is our banking class graduate, our proud emerging leader brimming with promise and hope. And he was taken from us. As we continue to grieve, we are focused on keeping our residents and staff safe. Please take care of yourself and others as well.
Artwork by local artist Andres Guzman (IG: @andresitoguzman).