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Open Letter from ESC's President and CEO: Rachelle Jervis

Published 6 June 2020

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Dear Friends and Family:

 

Once again we find ourselves mourning the murder of someone who was taken too soon due to racism. Our hearts are broken. 

 

Like many of you, I am fortunate to have a family with diverse backgrounds, religions, and abilities. I benefit mightily from the perspectives of my family members. One thing I’ve learned is that when you are in a position of privilege for any reason, including the color of your skin, it is your obligation to use that power to help others without it. There was no better teacher than my late daughter Constance. I’m not going to tell you about the racial slurs she endured because of the color of her skin or the times she was told to leave public spaces due to her disability. Instead I’m going to tell you that she was a happy child who loved swimming, reading, and her dog Otis. Like everyone, she deserved to be treated equally.

 

For 42 years the Executive Service Corps’ nonprofit consultants have committed to using their time, talent, and treasure for our community. Our decades of nonprofit experience have taught us that to achieve any mission you must have all stakeholders at the table. 

 

Since coming to ESC four years ago, I have prioritized diversity and inclusion. You can access our ever expanding library of free diversity, equity, and inclusion training and resources for nonprofits and their stakeholders at https://www.execservicecorps.org/training. We welcome suggestions and requests for additional resources, articles, and tools. 

 

I hope you will join ESC for our upcoming free nonprofit trainings "The Nonprofit Board’s Role in Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion"(https://www.execservicecorps.org/equitytrainingforboardmembers) and “Increase Inclusion by Ending Micro-aggressions” (https://www.execservicecorps.org/microaggressions).

 

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit we were proud to say, ESC is here for you (https://www.execservicecorps.org/covid19help). With yet another racially charged murder, we are saying it again: ESC is here for you. To paraphrase the Declaration of Independence, we believe that we are all equal and have a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Equity is an essential right for the individual, a necessity for a society, and a core commitment for ESC.

 

With gratitude,

Rachelle Jervis

President and CEO

Executive Service Corps (ESC)

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Rachelle is on:

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