A Message to the Community: Bending Toward Justice

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving stands in solidarity with those who are exercising the constitutionally protected right of people to protest against the ongoing structural racism and injustices, which have once again added another name to the long list of persons of color who have needlessly and unconscionably been killed by the hands of these forces.

The events of the past weeks also serve as painful reminders of the inequities and disparities that remain so prevalent in our country. Although these most recent tragedies did not occur in our immediate backyard, the same underlying issues surround us.  At the Hartford Foundation, our strategic framework centers on those underlying issues which include greater racial/ethnic, geographic and economic inclusion.

Unless and until an ever-increasing number of our fellow citizens acknowledge this insidious problem and persistently act against the status quo, we are destined to repeat this vicious cycle: a cycle which erodes our country and society in ways that none of us will be able to escape. Each of us can and must do more.

Those actions can take many forms, including giving of your time, talent and treasure.

• Donate to nonprofits and groups you support.  
• Donate to organizations advancing racial equity.  
• Donate to police reform efforts.
• Donate to COVID-19 relief efforts, especially those focused on people most impacted by the pandemic.  

We are making slow and painful progress; as Dr. King admonished us, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”