CCNB will not stand by silently when we witness acts of injustice like the murder of George Floyd. In the face of racism and violence, we look to our guiding principles and our values of empowerment, community, and sustainability as we work every day to help the young people in our program overcome generational barriers to self-sufficiency stemming from a society that is structured on power and privilege.

As a staff, we choose to leverage our own privileges to invest in those we serve. We will not hold our youth back but choose to hear them and honor their voices. We help them get the tools they need to lift themselves up: an education, work experience, and access to opportunities.

We accept that we must all educate ourselves, listen to long-marginalized voices, and call out oppression in every form. We condemn all acts of violence toward others and champion acceptance, access, and equality. We are proud to serve young people of different races, genders, religions, and backgrounds while being firmly rooted in the idea of creating equity through our work.

Let’s not only raise our voices together in protest but put our words into action by modeling what it is to be an open, loving society that believes that Black lives matter.