My name is Marvin McTaw. I am the co-founder and CEO of Sched. I also happen to be a black man living in the United States of America. I see the protests about the police and injustice. I hear the outrage in the news and on social media. It’s difficult for me to feel the same way as many people though for a sad, sad reason. The deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmud Arbury are not remarkable. They are all too common and this is not OK.
For weeks, our team has been encouraging the company to make a statement about the injustices happening in the headlines. I felt uncomfortable doing so because I wasn’t entirely sure what to say. There’s nothing we can say that will bring back the lives that were lost. There’s nothing we can do to help console the grieving families. We can not change the past but we can influence the future.
Here’s how we plan to help:
Education
We will work together to help educate our team and others about the situation facing Black people and minorities, more broadly, in America. We start by sharing this video that helps explain race in America.
Investing in our future
Black people have not always had the tools or knowledge to succeed. We commit to supporting the future of black people in this country and more specifically, within the technology industry. We will donate a portion of sales to Black Girls Code to support the development of technical skills within the Black community.
Demanding accountability
We demand accountability and systemic change in response to the murderers of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and Tony McDade. We commit to supporting the Center for Policing Equity as they work for immediate change. We will support CPE through signal boosting, volunteering, and donations.
Equity
We do our best to treat everyone with dignity and respect. We will however refuse to do business with people who harass, intimidate, bully, or abuse our people. We encourage our people to speak up about misconduct and we will not tolerate retaliation.
Reflection, recovery & rejuvenation
All team members have paid time off and are strongly encouraged to take at least one week completely off each year. This means being completely away from work (no emails, Slack messages, phone calls, etc.). This time away is an opportunity to reflect, recover, and rejuvenate ourselves so that we can, ultimately, be better individuals and team members. We continue to encourage and expect our employees to take time off to recharge, protest, or for any other reason they desire.
In closing
Our mission continues to be fostering memorable events. Memorable events start with strong communities built by like-minded individuals coming together for a common purpose. Recent events make it clear that we can’t go back to the way things were. Let’s unite around a common purpose of ensuring equality and justice for Black lives and Black futures.
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