DesignForce Stands In Solidarity With The Black Lives Matter Movement

At designforce, we have been reflecting on the recent events in America concerning racial injustices and police brutality. We stand with the Black community and the peaceful protesters bringing attention to and fighting against oppression, injustices and inequality in our nation.

We have been disturbed and extremely saddened by the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and more recently, George Floyd. The deaths of these and countless other Black Americans underscores the need for new and/or revised legislation, as well as comprehensive reform related to police interactions, racism, and institutionalized oppression.

We have always been resolute in educating our clients, candidates and others within the AEC industry, about eliminating overtly discriminatory behaviors as well as implicit bias based on race. We remain committed to breaking down human-made barriers that hinder exceptional talent from being included within the recruitment and hiring process. We put our people first, and we have always believed that hiring, identifying and assisting exceptional talent has no bounds; our efforts are not limited to a particular race, gender, sexuality, religion, or national origin. We will continue to work towards making this a standard in our industry.

Diversity of thought strengthens our industry and builds resilience. Architecture and Engineering design advances when diverse minds are able to collaborate. We will continue to educate ourselves, be thoughtful and actively work to eliminate bias, racism and discrimination in our industry. We hope that our work in this area will influence businesses in every sector. If we all work together and collectively fight for what is right, we can create sweeping change.

We encourage everyone — both in the AEC industry and beyond— to be more conscious, empathetic and rush to become more educated before being judgmental on this topic. Further, we ask that you join us in being introspective— analyzing, identifying and correcting instances of racism, bias and injustice within your own lives and workplaces and support others who are championing these efforts.