In the wake of George Floyd’s May 2020 murder, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on minority communities, we recognized the immediate and continued need to develop safe spaces (virtually) for conversation, education, and a commitment to action in support of racial equity and justice.

In June 2020, we held a firmwide Racial Equity Town Hall to offer a supportive environment for PFM colleagues to share their reactions to Mr. Floyd’s death and explore the ways that PFM staff can serve in allyship and solidarity with our colleagues and communities to advance racial equity. Since then, we have held additional learning sessions on the topic of systemic racism (including follow-up Town Hall sessions in January/February 2021), have donated to non-profit organizations with similarly-aligned racial justice missions, have established a CEO-led Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to examine internal and internal equity and recommend policy and practice change, and have advised on or led small-group discussions with a number of leaders and their teams on issues of race both in the workplace and on a regional or national scale.

Staff feedback collected via survey in October 2020 was overwhelmingly positive regarding the impact of these conversations on their feelings of inclusion and belonging in the workplace. Staff have indicated a personal call to action for continued self-education, introspection on their own unconscious bias or unearned privilege, and a desire to be a vocal ally to their colleagues from underrepresented groups who may benefit from their solidarity and advocacy.