Striving for Equity Amidst a Moral and Public Health Crisis

We are in the midst of a deeply troubling and traumatic period in the nation’s history. More than 100,000 Americans have died from the coronavirus, tens of millions have lost their jobs, and these hardships are compounded and made all the more brutal for our black and brown colleagues, friends and family, who are reeling from yet another series of unjust killings.

Following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and too many others, I share in the heartache and rage over such sustained and systematic racism in this country. Like many Americans, I am struggling to find the right words to respond to this ongoing crisis, but let me say unequivocally, on behalf of my colleagues and so many others in my industry: Black Lives Matter.

As we all collectively process the images and reports coming in like a flood from protests around the country, I wanted to share some of the news, links and information that have been circulating amongst my staff over the last few days.

• Here in our nation’s capital, hundreds of protesters have made their voices heard at the White House over the last few nights, not far from the SEIA HQ office. We stand in solidarity with those who are fed up and frustrated with the lack of progress on addressing racism in our criminal justice system.
• If you’re looking for some useful summaries of the protests that are taking place and why they’re happening, NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar penned an excellent op-ed, and Slate has a good take on the question of police violence inflicted on peaceful protesters.
• If we’re going to make actual progress, it’s not enough to condemn racism, we have to actively practice anti-racism. Here is an excellent collection of resources about what that means, along with some ways you can practice anti-racism, starting today.
• Here is a great resource of Podcasts for Advocates of Energy and Climate Justice from Alexis Plair, the Clean Energy Leadership Institute’s Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• For positive signs of corporations doing the right thing, read the open letter from Target’s CEO to their employees, and check out some actions that Peloton is taking.
• Supporting black-owned businesses in your local communities is more important than ever. A list of some of the establishments in Washington, D.C. that have options for takeout can be found here.

SEIA’s commitment to relentlessly pursuing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the solar industry takes on an even greater urgency. As we envision and advocate for the important role the solar industry will play in rebuilding our nation’s economy, SEIA recommits itself and our industry to ensuring that racial justice and opportunity for all remain core values of our work. If you would like to join us in our pursuit of justice and equality within the solar industry, I encourage you to take the CEO Action Pledge for Diversity & Inclusion today.