Honoring Juneteenth

It’s been two weeks.

Two weeks since we witnessed the brutality that led to the devastating death of George Floyd. (Far longer for many victims in the Black community that met this tragic fate before him.)

Two weeks since our eyes opened even wider to the systemic racial injustices that plague our nation.

And at Accordion, it’s been two weeks since we faced the truth: our firm could be doing more to drive change for the Black community.

Before commenting publicly, we decided to take a hard look inside ourselves – to engage our colleagues in critical (and critically overdue) conversations. “Partner with authenticity” is one of our core values, and it felt inauthentic to speak out without taking in.

We’ve spent the last two weeks figuring out how to listen, learn, and do – in that order. We’re just scratching the surface; we know that. But we are committed to making long-term, meaningful improvements across our organization, our industry, and the communities where we live and work.

There’s a lot more to come, but one of the immediate things we’re doing is making next Friday, Juneteenth (also known as Emancipation Day), an Accordion holiday. We’ll be closed for business to stand in solidarity – because Black Lives Matter.

We’ll say it loudly. We’ll say it often. But saying Black Lives Matter won’t be enough.

Honoring Juneteenth will be just one of the many ways we’ll translate our words into action. And we’ll be accountable to you—our colleagues, clients, and friends.

Together, we’ll be part of the change.

Stay tuned…