Statement – June 3, 2020

The Insured Retirement Institute grieves with our nation, with the Minneapolis community and with the family of George Floyd. We are immensely saddened and struggling to comprehend this terrible injustice.

We cannot forget him or the tragically long list of Black Americans who have unjustly lost their lives or been denied even the most basic human rights solely because of the color of their skin. If we do, tragedy will continue to repeat itself.

IRI and our members and employees are committed to solutions that help people secure their long-term financial well-being. But communities and the people in them are hindered from pursuing that financial security when deprived of justice, dignity, and understanding. To secure our future, we must address and change our present.

IRI has always approached matters of public policy through a belief in constructive engagement with all stakeholders. As such, we stand with and are in strong agreement with the words of Representative John Lewis, who issued a powerful statement on the events of the past week that included the following:

"Our work won't be easy — nothing worth having ever is — but I strongly believe, as Dr. King once said, that while the arc of the moral universe is long, it bends toward justice."

As an industry and as an association, we are committed to an empowered, diverse workforce and to serving and treating all people equally with dignity and compassion. We must and will examine ourselves and our industry so we can serve as an example to others. We must and will address injustices where we can. And we are dedicated to working together to understand each other and to build better relationships, better communities and a better nation for all of us today and for the tomorrows to come.