The death of George Floyd at the hands of police, like the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless others, is the latest painful reminder of this country’s systemic racism and the racial violence facing the Black community.
Today, Energy Foundation is speaking up in solidarity against racism and violence because the urgency of recent events cannot be ignored. We are speaking up to acknowledge the advocates and organizations in our networks who are directly impacted by racial violence. We are speaking up in support of our Black and Brown colleagues and grantees.
We are speaking up because we have come to profoundly understand that meaningful progress on climate and clean energy requires a commitment to equity. The connections between climate change, systemic racism, and attacks on our democracy are increasingly apparent—if we are to solve any of these problems, we must address them all. Energy Foundation is committed to meet the moment we are in by increasing resources to organizations led by people of color and supporting efforts to preserve our democracy.
While we have much to learn, we are committed to listening, collaborating, and deepening our investment to combat racism and secure a clean and equitable energy future. We look forward to sharing our progress as we revise our mission, vision, and values, and funding strategies to better align with equity priorities.