Engineers for a Sustainable World is deeply saddened and angered by the events in Minneapolis that led to the unnecessary death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. We unequivocally denounce racism. In the past decade or so, African Americans and people of color have lost their lives under circumstances similar to those surrounding the death of George Floyd. Systemic and institutionalized racism has become the everyday status quo. And we must work together to end this injustice.

Change cannot come if those who are unaffected by the everyday trials and tribulations faced by these communities stand by and do nothing. For us to be a true ally, we must address the issues at hand and be the change that is imperative and necessary for a better world. This includes making sure we deprogram our mindsets from racist beliefs, thoughts, and actions. This includes confronting implicit biases (the process of associating stereotypes or attitudes toward categories of people unconsciously) we may have formed due to negative exposure from media outlets, friends, and family.

A more sustainable world has always been our organization’s paramount focus. However, we cannot discuss a sustainable world without discussing the importance of and the need to protect Black lives. We recognize that as an organization, we are not perfect. The lack of visible diversity in our leadership and in the projects we execute is palpable. We are working to address this lack of diversity.

Engineers for a Sustainable World is place for students of all backgrounds to come together and create engineering projects and solutions for the world. To our members of ESW across the country who are affected by this system and institutionalized racism, we hear you, we support you, and we are an ally in efforts to end a racist system. We strongly believe the work we need to do starts from within… within ourselves, within our own homes, and within our organization and communities.