A message of unity: Reflections on our nation and our communities

There are times in life for listening and quietly observing the events and discussion around us. And then, there are times that move us to speak out.

Anthem is rooted in the very fabric and history of local communities that have found themselves under siege the past several days. These are the local communities where we not only live and work, but it’s where we serve others through a lens of inclusion, acceptance and tolerance.

What began as a horrific act of inhumanity at the hands of Minneapolis police last Monday soon escalated into destruction and violence in the many places we call home. What we’ve witnessed this past weekend by small groups of individuals across the country has ultimately detracted from the lawful protests and the desired narrative around ‘peace’.

The events have also illuminated the very real and important issues that we need to face—together—around inequity, bias and intolerance. We cannot sit idly by. We can and must do better as a nation.

Martin Luther King once said: “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”

Today, I ask all of us to rise above and reach out in support of one another. That’s what we’ve always done at Anthem. As we continue to battle this pandemic and now social unrest, I urge everyone of us to demonstrate compassion during this unsettling moment in our history.