At Corwin, we all share a deep horror and justifiable anger over the recent brutality in Minneapolis—and every bit as significant, the recognition that such brutality is not limited to Minneapolis but the product of a systemic failure across our nation. The brutal killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, and so many fellow citizens before them, and the hugely disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black and other minority communities are not something that we can or should accept.
For the last 30 years, Corwin has been proud to learn from and sponsor the work of brilliant and courageous scholars and practitioners who have attempted to dismantle the mechanisms of oppression and discrimination that disfigure our society—including the playground to prison pipeline that has caused disproportionate harm to Black and Brown children and their families. But, we must also accept that the publishers and educational institutions of the world must do more. Our work together is incomplete.
Equally, our company at all levels does not reflect the diversity of the world we seek to educate and inform. We have not done enough to drive and lead these initiatives at Corwin. This moment in history must become a rallying cry for us all to do more—individually and collectively. We must succeed. To only try is not enough. We must re-double our efforts to become a more diverse and inclusive organization both in our staff and in the voices we publish.
As a first and very small step, we will offer financial support to organizations who we believe are best placed to have the greatest impact and who understand how to translate research into action. Teams at SAGE and Corwin are actively working on these initiatives now and we will make further announcements shortly.
Racial injustice and inequality are no longer issues we can only discuss or publish. We must play our part to eradicate institutionalized racism. We must be proactive and vigilant. We must hold each other accountable, and we must make progress. Now is the time to devote ourselves to mobilizing society toward greater racial equality.
