August 18, 2020

Creating ‘A More Perfect Union’: Closing the Inequality Gap in the Workforce

In an ideal world, we live in a utopian society where everyone is equal irrespective of race, economic status, religion, culture, or gender.

We strive to build a society where everyone has equal access to education, financial mobility, and mutual respect. Although, we have come a long way as a collective and progressive society, the path before us remains long. Today, during these turbulent times, we are reminded of how much more progress is truly needed to create ‘a more perfect union’.

The Larkin Company aims to play an integral part in social justice reform to bring forth positive and progressive change in our country. We believe in the fair and equal treatment of all. We aim to take an active part in distinguishing inequality gaps and addressing them within our reach.

As we continue to educate ourselves on social justice issues, we have learned that positive change begins first and foremost within ourselves. From there, change will continue within our homes, our communities, and our businesses. The hope is that as change occurs, meaningful reform will take place at the city, county, state and federal levels, with the ultimate goal of attaining equality, inclusivity, and fair treatment of all.

Recent Events

In late May of 2020, Black Lives Matter protests erupted around the country at unprecedented rates following the death of George Floyd; a black citizen vainly killed by a law enforcement officer. The country’s response to Floyd’s death was deep-rooted and steeped in a history of repression and mistreatment of the Black community. The sudden outbursts of protests across the country were powerful and impactful, yet beautiful. People of all backgrounds unified to stand in solidarity with the Black community, demanding justice and reform, and most importantly, recognition of the fact that the lives of Black people matter.

The videos and images that circled news channels and media outlets were, admittedly, an uncomfortable and tough watch, yet a very important one. Our thoughts are with all those affected, directly and indirectly. We support the Black community’s aim to bring forth an equal justice system in our country. We recognize that the Black community’s fight here is not simply theirs, but is the fight of the collective, American people. We all have an important role to play.
We also recognize that this has been a turbulent time for law enforcement agencies, as the acts of a few have negatively shaped the overall image of our justice system. In this crucial time, it is important to recognize that we are capable of supporting both the Black Lives Matter movement and law enforcement, simultaneously. Both groups are necessary and instrumental players in the process to change and reform our country.

What Are We Doing?

We recognize that the larger issue at hand is that our justice system is flawed and needs immediate reform to improve the lives of our Black communities. Thus, we have taken some important steps here at The Larkin Company to address this inequality gap. We have empowered and provided resources to our Larkin Family to ensure that they are able to participate in this collective fight for social justice reform. First and foremost, we recognize that all those that may want to show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement, financially, may be limited due to personal and familial obligations. The Larkin Company believes each individual should be empowered to show their support without financial restrictions. As such, we have provided each individual in our Larkin family with one-hundred dollars to donate to an organization that is devoted to positive change and reform.

We also recognize that educational barriers and limitations exist. We have actively provided our Larkin Family with an extensive list of organizations, website links and other important information concerning the Black Lives Matter movement, among other groups committed to social justice reform. We have also re-examined internal business policies and processes concerning diversity and inclusion in the workplace. In June of 2020, we declared June 19, 2020 (Juneteenth) as a company holiday to pay tribute to the rich history of the Civil Rights Movement.
A few years ago, we created a Treatment of Others policy. This policy holds each member of the Larkin family to a high standard of treating others with kindness, dignity, and respect. The policy is geared to promote diversity and inclusion throughout the company. We have now developed an internal Inclusion Team to further these efforts with an interactive approach. This team has been very proactive in their efforts to support the Larkin Family during this time. The Inclusion Team has created an open and safe space where team members may listen and speak about their emotions regarding the Black Lives Matter movement. This space is private and confidential. Team members have the opportunity to share their thoughts with other team members and have productive conversations, while educating one another on different perspectives. The Inclusion Team is focused on keeping this important conversation going and is committed to hosting future initiatives regarding social justice reform.

A Vision for the Future

We hope that our recent efforts signify a progressive contribution to social justice reform and, in the notion, to create a more inclusive and equitable country that is free of bias, discrimination and racism. We understand that we still have a lot to learn; however, we are committed to continuing our efforts to bring forth positive change. Together, we can create ‘a more perfect union’. We can make a difference.

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