About Us
Statement of Purpose
We are a group of businesses and individuals in the architecture, engineering, and construction fields in Vermont who believe systemic racism is an insidious detriment to our communities, and that it must be confronted and dismantled in order to create a more just, humane, and sustainable society. We believe every human should work to secure for others all the rights and privileges that they claim for themselves.
Our purpose is to leverage our energy, power, and privilege, as businesses and individuals, to effect real, positive, and sustainable change with a focus on dismantling systemic racism in the built environment and beyond. We will do this through education, sharing of resources, direct action, and mutual support and accountability.
Statement of Need
White supremacy is woven into the fabric of our country. Since the first explorers and settlers landed here centuries ago, white supremacy has been normalized. The systemic racism that stems from white supremacist ideology has disproportionately bestowed unearned privileges (e.g., health, wealth, education) on white people while it has disproportionately placed undeserved and unjust burdens on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Every institution in our society is undergirded by racism: government, health care, housing, banking, criminal justice, education, and on and on. Over a lifetime, the inequalities that exist between people of different races in our country disproportionately impact BIPOC communities.
As business owners and individuals of largely white-dominated industries in Vermont, we believe it is our responsibility to understand, name, and help dismantle systemic racism. We believe systemic racism is at odds with our country’s ideals and potential and therefore must be dismantled in order to create a world where there is truly justice, equity, and belonging for all.
Who We Are
The Businesses We Represent
Our Commitment to Action
To live our beliefs and fulfill our purpose we will take positive steps through direct actions, including, but not limited to:
Formal and informal education
Reviewing our business policies and adjusting them, as needed
Developing Equitable Practices for:
Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention
Enhancing workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion
Identifying and confronting racism in ourselves and in our businesses
Business to business support of marginalized groups-owned enterprises
Sharing of anti-racism resources with other businesses and individuals
Directing resources to organizations aligned with our purpose
Sharing our time and talents with our communities