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A message from our interim CEO

The violence against Ralph Yarl last week shows all too vividly how far we have to go in our racial equity work. We need to, as a community, work together so that anyone can have a long and fulfilling life regardless of race, gender, or geography.

Written by Susan Chambers

Our nation is again facing what prosecutors described as a race-motivated shooting. This one has happened in our city.

We are part of this community. Many of our associates live near where Ralph Yarl was shot, and many are raising children who look like Ralph.

We are thankful that Ralph is home, and we wish continued healing for Ralph, for his family, and for our city.

We as a Foundation have been working to better understand and actively support racial equity. We will continue that internal work and hope that this tragedy spurs one productive thing – pushing our community to have the necessary conversations about the racial inequities that abound and to take actions to eliminate them. Community action is the prerequisite for community healing.

Too much violence and injustice occur daily to marginalized community members. The violence against Ralph again puts the issue of racism front and center.

Much has been written about Ralph’s achievements. But that’s not the point. He’s a young man, and any life should not be threatened by the simple act of ringing a doorbell at the wrong address.

We have continually been asked why we focus on racial equity. We’ve been highlighting why we think racial equity is important. Last week’s event shows all too vividly how far we have to go.

We could list all our grant investments in education, a prepared workforce, and starting and growing a business that support primarily Black and Latino people moving from financial instability to upward mobility. Or even the funding we provide for hundreds of Kansas Citians to get a grounding in the history, laws, policies, and practices that have led us to this moment.

But this event transcends that work. We need to, as a community, work together so that anyone can have a long and fulfilling life regardless of race, gender, or geography.

So, why do we begin with racial equity? Because we believe achieving racial equity benefits everyone:

  • Better job and career pathways.
  • A stronger and fairer economy.
  • More resilient communities.
  • A better quality of life for all.

We’ll continue our work to build supportive systems in place of broken ones. We’ll do that because we believe that when we do, we all win.

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