Flexability | Anti-Racism Statement

As a company built on social impact, Flexability refuses to be on the wrong side of history as much as we refuse to stay on the sidelines. As a socially conscious business, we must fight for justice and equity in all its forms. Flexability is committed to changing workplaces, which means we must also commit to protecting the people who work within them.

What do we do now?

We must unlearn toxic attitudes and biases. We must listen. We must question. We must act. We need to self-reflect and ask the hard questions, and we need to ask those same questions of those around us. We need to do better. We need to be better.

The responsibility to educate humanity does not rest upon the Black Community. African Americans are in the midst of a daily war, living inside a system built to ignore and misrepresent institutionalized oppression. No one should live in a world where their freedoms, their rights, even the air in their lungs, feel borrowed and not owned.

Because of this, Flexability commits to working in discomfort, anger, tears, and foolishness until true equity is realized:

• Discomfort at easy answers and half-truths
• Anger at oppression, injustice, and systemic racism
• Tears for those who suffer
• Foolishness to believe we can make a difference in the world in the face of those who say it is not possible

Are you uncomfortable? Good.

Are you angry? Good.

Do you feel like crying? Good.

Are you ready to assume your rightful place in ending racism? Good.

So are we.

Here are six steps you can take right now:

1. Read Charles Blow's op/ed: https://nyti.ms/2M2OPFc. Talk through your questions and thoughts with someone you know.
   
   
2. Ask your company how they are fighting racism within the company and supporting local community efforts to stop racism. Help your co-workers build agendas, due dates, and deliverables.
   
   
3. Ask your faith-based leaders how they are fighting racism in the congregation and expect sermons/homilies that directly address anti-racism and place responsibilities on congregants. Help your clergy member or study group find scripture and literature which directly addresses hatred against others.
   
   
4. Call your local/county/state police departments and ask what sort of anti-racist training is in place. If nothing, begin a campaign with family, friends, and neighbors to put it on the ballot and fund the initiative.
   
   
5. Call your child's principal to ask what school-wide programs are being implemented to create anti-racist mindsets in children. If they don't have one, go to Teaching Tolerance's website https://www.tolerance.org/ and work with them to create age-appropriate lesson plans.
   
   
6. Excavate and deal with your buried racial anxieties: "Do you find yourself engaging in "thought gymnastics" to explain away racist behavior?"

For a PDF copy of our statement, please click here.