Following the tragic killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and many other black men and women, our team has been confronting the realities of systemic, institutionalized racism. Our eyes are being opened to the bias that exists in our everyday lives, our privilege, as well as discrimination in our industry.
It has taken us a long time to share this statement as we have struggled with how to voice our support as a business. We thought of ourselves as a team that wants equality for all who are disenfranchised and lack safety from violence. We felt that our intensive work with the Lancaster Public Library, YWCA, and donations to the ACLU and other local charities were enough, but we see that they are not. We need to do more.
As a team, we have realized the need to be clear: Henrietta Heisler Interiors, Inc. stands in solidarity with the movement for black lives. We are committing to the following actions:
- Stop colorblindness. By claiming to “not see color” it can be easy to ignore discrimination and legitimize practices that maintain racial disparities. We commit to embracing cultural differences to have a better understanding of our society.
- Stop denying privilege. We recognize the need to identify our bias and take an honest look at the privilege we have experienced.
- Create inclusive space. As a member of the Lancaster Public Library board, as well as the new library building committee, Henrietta is seeking to continue and expand the legacy of the library as an inclusive environment with equal opportunities.
- Contribute monetary support. Henrietta makes monthly donations to the ACLU. Additional donations are being made to the Black Interior Designers Network (BIDN), the NAACP and the Lancaster Public Library.
Our goal is to one day have a society where there is equality and justice for everyone. All lives will matter when black lives matter equally. Getting to that point is going to take sustained, intense, comprehensive effort from all of us. We know there is much to do and are committed to working towards this future together.
More resources and information:
ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/
Black Interior Designers Network: https://blackinteriordesignersnetwork.com/
Lancaster Public Library: https://lancasterpubliclibrary.org/
NAACP: https://www.naacp.org/
