To the Clients of Shepherd Financial Partners and the greater community,
Let’s talk about it. Because we have reached a point where we can no longer stay silent and not talk about it. In light of recent events in our nation – the tragic and senseless murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, the widespread protests across the country and the utter social unrest – we must speak out against injustice and acts of racism.
At Shepherd Financial Partners we stand against discrimination or racism in any form. We believe in the inherent dignity of all people. We stand with the black community and the Black Lives Matter movement. At this time, we want to reaffirm:
We will continue to empower and support all clients regardless of race, socioeconomic background, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, physical and cognitive ability, or age in their investing and financial planning decisions.
We will continue to support philanthropic efforts that help marginalized groups. We support: Gulf Coast Volunteers for the Long Haul; AbilityPLUS; Abby’s House; Saint Rock Haiti Foundation; The Loveland Foundation; NAMI; Black Lives Matter. Please let us know the organizations that matter to you, and we can champion them as well.
We understand that a person’s values lead each person’s life. Therefore, we will continue our commitment to SRI (Socially Responsible Investing) and ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) portfolios, so that clients are empowered to make conscious investing decisions that align with their values.
We will continue to cultivate a work environment that is accepting of all backgrounds, inclusive and diverse.
We take pride in building relationships with clients based on openness, honesty and trust, and we acknowledge and deeply appreciate one another’s unique identities, experiences, and backgrounds. Still, as we commit to continuing to make strides that promote equality, we recognize that there is room for growth. Here at Shepherd Financial Partners, we encourage and welcome dialogue within our firm and with our clients about inclusivity and justice, particularly regarding the black community. We believe it is invaluable to our own growth and our clients’ growth to participate in meaningful dialogue, sharing what you are feeling and how we can evolve our practices to best serve you. We must be active in promoting awareness and action that will allow our community to rise to the level of simply loving and respecting each other.
As many of you know, we at Shepherd Financial Partners live to give. The ethos of our firm is based in this mindset (it is simply our way of life). Giving of ourselves to serve others is a fundamental value woven into the fabric of who we are and what we do. We welcome a dialogue with you, and we have great hope as we all move forward by honoring each other through our belief in the inherent dignity of all persons. Black Lives Matter.
Stay safe and stay healthy!
Resources and books that can be helpful:
The Black Lives Matter website can be found at https://blacklivesmatter.com/.
PBS NewsHour Extra released a lesson plan for grades 6-12 about the death of George Floyd. The plan includes a news video (that omits the footage of Floyd’s death) and discussion questions about the protests, police brutality, and media literacy.
The group Embrace Race compiled a list of 31 children’s books that address race, racism, and activism. The nonprofit Teaching for Change put together a list of social justice books for teens.
The New York Times also came out with a diverse list of interesting reading on race.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact your Shepherd Financial Partners team with any questions.