June 3, 2020
Today, our city moves into phase 3 of the COVID-19 reopening plan set forth by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. The milestone that we have hit today marks the phased reopening of many non-essential businesses such as restaurants and salons. This milestone was predicted to be a time when the entire City of Chicago would begin to bring itself back to a sense of normalcy. Unfortunately, this sense of normalcy has been delayed by the justified protest against the unjustified murder, by a Minneapolis police offer, of an unarmed Black man named Mr. George Floyd. As an African American male, CEO and a respected member of the community; I choose to address our company and our community, as a whole, because silence isn’t an option during this difficult time.
The entire world has seen the video of a Minneapolis police officer who used a dangerous police restraint technique to subdue an already subdued George Floyd during an arrest for an alleged $20.00 counterfeit bill. The Officer used his knee to apply his entire body weight to George Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes, as Mr. Floyd begged for his life, gasped for his final breath and ultimately died for no justified reason. The actions which led to the death of Mr. George Floyd happen every day in communities of color. Many police officers, who have taken an oath to serve and protect, have no real understanding of the people in the communities in which they are assigned. As a result, they pull over, detain, racially profile and target black or brown men and women, assuming the worst of them often without probable cause. This is common when it should be uncommon.
As GMA’s CEO, I am publicly denouncing the mistreatment of black and brown people at the hands of corrupt police officers who feel their badge gives them the right to take the life of another person solely based on their racial and ethnic background. We all have a responsibility to speak up when a situation arises that affects the livelihood of our friends, family, and neighbors. I understand, the distrust that people of color have with police officers across this country. Police brutality isn’t a new phenomenon. It has simply been magnified due to social media platforms and other technology which allows videos and photos of brutality to spread across the country in a matter of hours.
I grew up in the Austin and Cabrini Green communities on Chicago’s west and near-north sides. I have personally experienced the abuse of power by rogue police officers who were supposed to equally protect and serve the Chicago community and its citizens. Across the nation, similar abuses of power have led to the overall distrust in police whose ultimate responsibility is to protect “All” citizens, regardless of their color or ethnic origins. Yet, we still see countless situations where police officers have failed to provide people of color with the same set of protections as their counterparts. This racism should be denounced by our government, business leaders and the community as a whole.
The death of George Floyd has ignited protests throughout the entire world. His death has also inspired conversations within large and small corporations around diversity, equity, and inclusion. GMA has always strived to be a leader in the diversity & inclusion space, as demonstrated by the diverse work environment I have worked hard to create within our organization. One of the core missions of GMA is to “Develop People who will Transform Communities.” Our company was founded on this principle and our work focuses on building Healthcare, Education, and Affordable Housing within underserved communities. This goal has been my passion since I entered the construction industry nearly 18 years ago. I have strived to use my platform in this dynamic industry as a means to impact change within the communities I grew up in and currently reside.
GMA is definitely making a positive impact! We are building new healthcare facilities, schools, and affordable housing in communities of color within the City of Chicago and other parts of the country. We are proud of GMA’s impact, but our work doesn’t stop there. GMA has to continue to demonstrate the roadmap of how people from all racial and ethnic backgrounds can align to accomplish the mission of developing underserved communities.
As we continue to monitor the reactions around the world to the death of George Floyd; I want our clients, employees, partners and community members to know that GMA is a place where racism and bigotry does not exist. GMA’s Executive team and Board of directors is made up of a diverse group of the best and the brightest men and women the industry has to offer. We believe in diversity, equity, and inclusion and it represents who we are as a company and as a team. Our clients choose GMA because they share our beliefs that their projects should reflect the diverse makeup of their communities. We applaud our clients for committing themselves to diversity and residency goals with or without local mandates.
GMA will continue to work with our local and national leaders to ensure that the example we are setting within our firm resonates outside of the four walls of GMA and within our City, State and Country. With this sentiment in mind, GMA commits to partnering with Leaders for Tomorrow (L4T) to contribute $25,000 dollars toward local and national clean up and rebuilding efforts. Please join us in standing for and against the maddening normalcy of racism by funding organizations that are being the change we want to see in America.
We are all in this together and it’s our responsibility to stand for something, not to fall for anything. This is a conversation that we can no longer avoid. We are all Americans and we should never be judged by the color of our skin but by the content of our character (MLK).
Respectfully,
Cornelius D Griggs, President
GMA Construction Group