In this moment of global outrage following yet another string of racist acts targeting and murdering African Americans, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation joins the call for an end to the systemic racism that excludes and diminishes Black people.
As an organization, we are deeply committed to equity, justice and safety for all, in alignment with our mission and with the intent of our founder, who was driven to help make life better for those who have been wrongly disadvantaged. However, this commitment will not be realized until the lives of Black people in America are respected and valued.
We condemn the police brutality we have witnessed, and we demand accountability and reforms in our law enforcement institutions so that these killings and abuses will end.
As a society, we have grown far too complacent in the face of glaring inequities. It is time for this to change. We need to work together to identify and dismantle the policies and systems that keep so many of our fellow citizens in poverty, ill health, and fear for their lives.
We need to promote policies that are antiracist, that bring us closer to a future in which all of us can enjoy prosperity, health and security, regardless of our race, our gender, our sexual orientation, or any other characteristic.
At the Hilton Foundation, we want to approach this new challenge with optimism and resolve, but also with a spirit of humility and partnership. We commit to increasing our support to Black-led organizations, and to using our voice and resources to bring about greater racial equity and justice, led by what we learn from those with lived experience.
We will not lose hope. In this moment, we will redouble our efforts to make our world a place where there is no racism, injustice or discrimination of any kind, where every person’s human dignity is honored, and every person’s human rights are upheld.
Black lives matter.