Open Letter: Now Is the Time for Action.

Millions of voices around the world are uniting in a call for justice over the senseless killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery in a way we as a global community have never seen before. 

But while they are a catalyst for the protests and outrage we are witnessing, these deaths are not the root cause of it.

The rallying cries of “no justice, no peace,” “I can’t breathe,” and “hands up, don’t shoot” are not just about a few people. They are evocations of countless black and brown people who have been victims of violence across the western world for years. They are a plea to politicians, to public and private sector leaders and to the general population to put an end to the systemic racism we see in our world. We need to listen to and stand with them. Now.

Like many of us, I have been spending a lot of time watching the news lately. Journalists keep asking organizers, pundits and protesters the same questions: “Does this feel different? Do you think this time we will finally see change?” The responses from many are hopeful. But in the end, nothing will actually change unless real action is taken to combat the biases that permeate society.

We at RRA are proud of the progress we have made over the past two decades, strengthening our own D&I policies and practices and placing far more diverse candidates than ever before. But we can do a lot more to support black professionals and diverse populations within our organization. And the search industry as a whole has plenty of room to improve – both internally and externally.

Our purpose is to improve the way the world is led, and we are going to do just that. I am committing today to bring together a group of search-firm CEOs to discuss the specific actions we will take as an industry to effect change, from getting more diverse candidates in our talent pipelines to internal hiring, retention and promotion of diverse people – and ensuring our environment is one where everyone feels welcome and supported.

As individuals, as a firm and as an ecosystem, we have the power to drive change. Let us come together with our clients, candidates, friends and families to speak out, amplify the voices of others calling for change, donate to organizations working to combat racial inequities, have conversations, learn and take action in our daily lives to challenge the status quo.

Silence and inaction are complicity. Now more than ever, it is time for us to reflect, step up and lead.