Statement on behalf of the CREED Council
CREED Council was created as a platform to proactively and methodically expose gaps, address issues, and collaborate to develop actionable solutions to remove barriers towards equity in the commercial real estate industry. Our commitment and dedication to doing this essential work, advocating for progressive change in the workplace has been strengthened now more than ever. Together as seasoned real estate leaders of all backgrounds and expertise, we feel we are equipped to move beyond talk around diversity, inclusion and equity. We are intentionally focused to evolve our industry with a multi-pronged approach steeped in actionable solutions.
Recent events have brought light to a generational battle of racial injustice. Anti-Black racism is affecting the Black community more than ever and we can no longer turn a blind eye. We have a responsibility to take a stand. We can no longer ignore the pain of the Black community, as we are reminded of the devasting impacts of inaction most recently culminating in the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. In Canada, we cannot forget D’Andre Campbell and the brutal attack of Dafonte Miller.
We recognize that Anti-Black racism is not an exclusively American phenomenon, it is ever present in our Canadian society. We cannot continue to absolve ourselves from accountability of the harm racism plays on our colleagues, partners and clients. The problem is systemic and runs deep in our organizational framework, appearing as biases, prejudice, bigotry, microaggressions and assumptions that negatively impact talent management systems and leadership representation in our workplaces. It is everyone’s responsibility to use what is unfolding before our eyes as a trigger to educate ourselves, check our biases and influence the decision makers at our respective organizations to make a change starting with recruiting & hiring, leadership development and compensation policies that have historically stifled the progress of Black professionals in commercial real estate. It is time to move beyond circular conversations, deafening silence and empty actions to build a workplace inclusive for all.
Time is up. We call on commercial real estate industry leaders to take a stand with us to condemn policies and practices that continue to adversely impact the well-being and livelihood of all Black people. We ask you to join us in building solutions that work. Do the research, ask questions, but most importantly LISTEN. Understand, to say #BlackLivesMatter is not an implication that all lives don’t. It is a declaration that Black lives matter too. Our generations’ legacy will be defined by how we respond to the cries of our fellow citizens. So, we ask you, how will you respond?
