A Day for Equality

 

Tech Soft 3D, client of Jon Summers, is standing up and speaking out in support of equality.

All of us here at Tech Soft 3D care deeply about justice, fairness and equity, all of which are essential to our core value of Building Positive Relationships.  We feel compelled to stand up and speak out in defense of these ideals inside our company, within our local communities and around the world. We urge you to join us on our Day for Equality on June 19th.

Here in the USA, we have seen significantly unequal impacts between different racial and socio-economic groups from the COVID-19 pandemic, both in terms of health outcomes as well as the economic impacts of the shutdown.  Each of those deaths and each instance of economic desperation is both a unique human tragedy and a demonstration of the inequality we witness across this country and around the world. 

In addition, the recent tragic killings of African Americans in the US have reminded us of the racial inequality of our policing and criminal justice system, sparking protests around the country, with growing solidarity and action elsewhere in the world, as people raise their voices in support of justice, fairness and equality.  

 As a company with global offices and a global reach, we’re acutely aware of the inequalities that exist both in the USA and around the world based on race, gender, class, religious, sexual orientation, ethnicity and other factors. Each of these forms of inequality are pernicious and we all bear the responsibility of vigorously fighting against them. 

As a company that cares deeply about the issues of justice, fairness and equality, we feel we must take an active stance and raise our voice in support of these ideals.  We must speak out to condemn racism, hatred and inequality in all their forms and we are committed as a company to fighting it.  

As part of our commitment, we will be offering a paid day off for all our employees on Friday, June 19th as a Day for Equality. On that day, we have encouraged the entire Tech Soft 3D team to spend time supporting whatever human equality issue that feels most relevant and urgent for them in their community – whether that issue is related to race, economics, gender, sexual orientation, religion or any other factor.    

We are urging other companies and individuals to join us in that cause. If you are reading this, that means you!

People of all backgrounds and identities must stand up and support the rights of all people in the name of humanity and we believe that companies must add their voices to the rising chorus crying out for equality.

We have chosen this June 19th date for two reasons. First is a sense of urgency. These issues are painfully urgent now and we want to make this day available for people to take action sooner rather than later. Our second reason is symbolic.  June 19 is an informal holiday in the USA called ‘Juneteenth’, which commemorates the date when the last slaves still held in captivity 6 months after the Emancipation Proclamation were finally freed. 

Juneteenth is a day to celebrate the gains made through the tireless fight waged before our time as well as to remind us of the yawning gap that still remains to achieve true equality. While this date is most associated with African-Americans and racial inequality in particular, it is a strong reminder that there are many faces to inequality, all of which need to be actively and vigorously confronted. 

For those of us who choose to commit their Day of Equality to supporting these ideals, there are many ways to participate. We can educate ourselves and others, participate in peaceful demonstrations, write or call political representatives or whatever feels right for you individually. The important part is to take some positive action that helps us move toward a more just, fair and equal world. 

We strongly urge you join us, in whatever way is most relevant for you and in whatever form your action takes. The world needs to hear our collective voice.

Thank you and please spread the word by sharing a link to this blog. Together, and only together, we can make a difference.

 
Samantha Gee