In the wake of the horrific scenes of brutality against unarmed Black Americans like George Floyd, we understand that many people are reflecting on their own core values and beliefs and seeking more information about how the brands they support are responding.
Many of us cannot even begin to understand what it feels like for so many people in our country who are treated unfairly simply because of the color of their skin. But we can acknowledge this fact by opening dialogues and actively listening to find ways that we can do better as individuals and as an organization.
At Clark Associates, we strive to maintain a culture where “doing the right thing” means that hate, racism, and discrimination have no place here. We are actively taking steps to learn from, support, and open a dialogue with our employees and communities about these issues.
With a desire for progress in mind, we’ve had many conversations in our locations across the country and members of our team have courageously brought up issues and made suggestions on how we can improve. Based on that feedback, here are some of the initial steps that we are taking:
• We are forming diversity teams to help us gain perspective and provide feedback and direction as we work to get better in this area.
• We are supporting equality causes that are championed by our employees in each of our local communities.
• We will establish scholarships for minority students that are seeking careers in the culinary & hospitality fields.
• We will review our internal policies and procedures to make sure we are doing everything we can to ensure an inclusive and diverse workforce.
We recognize that these are just initial steps, and we are committed to keep listening, learning, and doing what we need to do to move forward together, so that we may be part of the solution.