We at Everyday Speech, like most of the world, have been saddened, angered, and outright disgusted by the course of recent events including the murder of George Floyd, who is just one victim of the many acts of injustice, brutality, and systemic racism aimed at people of color.

In the weeks since the murder of George Floyd, we’ve taken time to think deeply about the role Everyday Speech can play in the future of an entire generation of learners. We’re committed to taking careful, deliberate action with the aim of promoting Transformative Social-Emotional Learning and undoing acts of racism and inequality. We believe there is no more important work than this and in order to do it well, we cannot take quick reactionary steps. Therefore, we are making a short term and long-term plan that will span the course of the next two years and beyond.

As a diverse team with members from all over the world, we’ve had open discussions with our staff about the injustice occurring in our country, both educating and learning from each other. We’re committing to ensuring company wide equity consciousness to provide leadership positions to people of all races. We’re also auditing our own processes to figure out how we can support diversity at every level of our organization.

As part of the important work to be done, we’re dedicating time to learn from leaders in the field about how we can promote equity in all of our materials. We feel that forming an Equity Council will help make certain that diverse stories and voices continue to help our materials foster empathy through sharing and storytelling. We’ll strive to make sure that all students and adults regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender, abilities, and religion feel represented in the materials we put forth. We also feel that learning from Trauma-Informed SEL resources will provide a critical mental health lens that is vital for all students across the globe whether they experience trauma from the pandemic or a lifetime of racism and historical oppression.

Now is a crucial time in education. Our goal is to make sure our curricula fosters inclusivity, kindness, self-reflection of our own personal biases, and dedication to forming citizens who stand up for justice not only for themselves but for those experiencing inequality. 

None of us are well until all of us are well.

Thank you,

Brittany and Cal Brunell and all of us at Everyday Speech