Not Enough

The events of recent weeks have left me with a lot on my mind. Here’s a message I shared with FedEx Ground team members today...

George Floyd. Ahmaud Arbery. Breonna Taylor.

While it may be easy, especially for a white man like me, to think race relations in the United States have improved, too often African Americans have experiences like these individuals – whether walking, jogging, shopping, bird watching, in the safety of their homes, or just driving. And in far too many cases, these situations have deadly outcomes.

Racism is everybody’s problem. Its presence, and all other forms of discrimination, serve to tear apart the fabric of our society. This makes it a problem that requires a collective commitment to solve.

While businesses like FedEx Ground have generally focused on diversity and inclusion initiatives in the context of employee engagement, it has become painfully clear to me that today’s societal challenges are far more extensive than simply marginalization in the workplace. The psychological impact of recent events, and their effect on our people, cannot be overstated.

To our African American FedEx Ground team members, let me be clear that I stand with you. While some of us at FedEx Ground will never understand what it is like to be black in America, we can and will listen, empathize and stand by your side. We appreciate your anger, frustration and fear. We acknowledge the reality of your experiences and lean in to the discomfort of this reality. We will seek first to understand.

You may be wondering why I chose this time or these events to send this very specific and personal message. It would be easy to use this opportunity to reiterate our company values and commitment to diversity. That’s not enough anymore. It would not be enough if George Floyd had been a colleague or friend, and it should not be enough even though he wasn’t. I am convinced that meaningful change can only happen when we are courageous enough to face the ugliness of our reality, the discomfort of the conversation and the complexity of the solutions together.

So I am using this opportunity to start the difficult discussion and encourage you to do the same. Please know that I am deeply committed to implementing key actions that drive change at FedEx Ground and beyond. We will engage leadership teams and representatives from across the company, as well as the FedEx Ground Black Professionals Network, in the formation of these plans.

As we approach the 244th anniversary of our country, it is important to recognize we have not yet become ‘a more perfect union’ and to commit ourselves to the substantial work that remains to achieve that vision equally for everyone.