Slalom Stands in Protest, for Equality and Humanity, and Against Racism

June 11, 2020 - Slalom CEO Brad Jackson recently shared this message with all of Slalom's 8,500+ team members and on LinkedIn.

At Slalom, Black Lives Matter. Period. We will not be silent about Black lives stolen by racist violence. We all need to open our hearts and use our voices, but most importantly we need to listen, learn, and act.

The lack of humanity and senseless deaths have caused many around the world to feel angry, heartbroken, and justifiably scared. It is inexcusable that parents must teach their Black children how to act at school, at work, in social settings, and when they encounter police officers in order to survive. It angers me that so many people experience racism and inequality in our world today. It is horrifying that every person is not treated with humanity, decency, and respect.

Over the past two weeks, I have appreciated the candor and generosity with which our Black team members have engaged in having honest, heart wrenching conversations with the executive team and me to build our awareness and empathy about the centuries of oppression and racism that Black people have endured.

To our Black team members at Slalom and to the many whose voices are now raised to demand change, I stand with you against racism. I recognize that I have position and privilege and I will do my part to be an agent of change.

Anti-racism is not just about what we can do, but who we are. At Slalom, we are committed to justice, humanity, and equality. We do not tolerate racism. Anti-racism starts with listening and learning. We must also take action to drive profound and lasting change and to create a better tomorrow with absence of bias, fear, and injustice.

We must focus within our organization, examining and continuously reflecting on how we are doing, and committing to actions that demonstrate that we care and are intentional about how we will eradicate bias at Slalom. We have work to do and are committed to the following actions:

We will not tolerate racism.
We will continue to listen, learn, and lean into the vital conversations.
We will deepen our learning and education on anti-racism and injustice to build understanding and empathy.
We will improve transparency in sharing how we are doing on diverse representation and pay equity. We will become a more racially diverse organization.
We will improve how we hire, grow, develop, promote, and retain our Black team members and all under-represented groups.
We will engage our team to solution ideas for how we create a better tomorrow.
To guide and prioritize our ongoing committed actions, I will formalize an anti-racism advisory panel who will continue to provide counsel and feedback.

While our initial focus is inside of Slalom to role model our stance against racism, we are also committed to engaging with local civic leaders and our clients and partners to apply our capabilities and technology to help tackle racism and systemic discrimination. We are committed to using the power of Slalom, our talents and our people and engaging the Slalom Foundation to effectuate change.

Now, more than ever, I am driven by Slalom’s purpose to help people reach for and realize their visions. I am committed to our vision to help build a world in which each person will have the opportunity to love their work and their life. And, I am personally committed to self-reflection and growth. It is incumbent on each person to grow and educate themselves, and I encourage you to join me in reflecting on these important questions:

How can I step outside my comfort zone to hear the stories and ideas that will guide profound and lasting change?
What do I need to learn—and unlearn?
What is my personal role in helping to end racism in the world?
How can I contribute to creating a culture of anti-racism?

We have the opportunity to listen more, learn more, and act more to tackle racism and systemic discrimination. Change will take time and it will not be comfortable at times, but our collective actions will drive meaningful change. I will no longer be silent. Slalom will no longer be silent. Together, we stand in protest, for equality and humanity, and against racism.

Together, we can make a remarkable difference in our communities and around the world. Together, we can impact millions of lives today and for generations to come. Together, we can build a world filled with equality and humanity for all.

Brad Jackson