The senseless and horrendous murder of George Floyd has heightened the awareness of what has been going on for too long. This time there was a recording for the world to see a defenseless human being crying out “I Can’t Breathe” as his life faded away. What has our society become when help or compassion is not extended to a fellow citizen because of the color of his skin? Mr. Floyd was someone’s son, father, brother, uncle, and friend, yet his life did not matter to the police officer who knelt on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.

This was not an isolated incident. The picture of Mr. Floyd will be forever engrained in my mind just as the faces of Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin, and other African Americans who have died at the hands of law enforcement. The untold truth is what happened to George Floyd could happen to me, my uncle, brother, sister, nephews, niece, friends, or anyone who is black or brown.

There has always been so much to do as instances of social injustice have occurred throughout my lifetime compounding the pain and suffering of black and brown people. I witnessed the discrimination my parents experienced in the 50’s and 60’s while working hard trying to live the American Dream. I know first-hand about being profiled, treated unfairly, and disrespected because of my skin color. Over the years, I chose to remain silent and persevered, determined to rise above others’ ignorance; but remaining quiet is no longer an option.

It is my heart’s desire to do what I can to create a better world for my 15-year-old nephew Tony and all in his generation and those to come. Who is your Tony who reminds you that you can no longer be silent; that the time is right to do the right thing?

Throughout my life my faith has been my North Star and that has fueled my optimism about race relations, inclusion, and equality. Now, join in focusing our anger and agitation to solutions to heal from issues that have been a part of America’s landscape for over 400 years. Together we can be better and work to destroy systemic racism that lead to inroads to doing the right things for all people. I am committed to lending my voice, time, and resources to address racism and social injustices. Think about getting involved in an organization, speaking out against injustice when it occurs in your community and/or forming a group at your church, synagogue, or mosque to build bridges to bring people together.

I pray for peace and healing and to touch the souls and hearts of our fellow citizens to make everyone understand that our lives have value and matter. I dream of a better world where we listen to those unheard voices to find solutions that will lead to a better world for us all.

I salute and honor George Floyd and all whose lives have been sacrificed for us to see over the mountaintop.

Sincerely,

Ralph D. Weaver

East West Connection is committed to providing superior services to our clients. We accomplish this by adhering to our Vision Statement’s principles of integrity, respect and ethical business standards.

LENDING A HELPING HAND

The “human element” is an integral part of everything we do. It takes a village to make a difference in people’s lives and since our inception, East West Connection has been committed to touching the lives of people everyday. EWC provides funding, in-kind donations and/or pro bono services to a variety of organizations and causes focused on cancer, education and equality. One organization EWC supports is Growing Hearts of Africa, a 501(c)(3) organization, focused on building schools in Ethiopia. For the past four years, EWC has provided pro-bono support to this effort.

Many companies have expressed a commitment to support African American-owned businesses in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and heightened awareness of systemic racism. As a 100% African American- owned business, EWC can be positioned as the company of choice for corporations looking to increase their spending with minority companies. Our commitment is focused on creating a work environment that embraces demographic, experiential and cognitive diversity. We strive to annually ensure that everyone has an opportunity to connect, interact, and engage with their individual work communities and as a collective unit.

At East West Connection, we are committed to Environmental Awareness, Economic Growth and Social Equality by embracing the passion and purpose of our employees, local communities and global partnerships. With a thoughtful and strategic focus, we support Sustainability Initiatives through Ethical Sourcing, Energy Efficiency, Community Volunteerism, and Education, Awareness & Advocacy.