We are heartbroken and outraged at the brutal and senseless murder of George Floyd at the hands of local law enforcement. During our 40 years in business, we’ve seen too many tragedies of this nature in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, and pray we never see another.
First and foremost, we stand with the Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) community, and firmly proclaim that BLACK LIVES MATTER—now and always. We stand with protestors and activists demanding an end to systemic racism, working to create a more equitable society, and reform a criminal justice system that is unfair and unjust towards people of color.
We also recognize our expressions of support are not enough; we need to actively participate in ending racism. Roughly 20% of our workforce is comprised of people of color, and we have always strived to create a safe workplace for all, that is free of racism and hate. However, we acknowledge that we need to make a more conscious effort to understand how racism is affecting our employees, both inside and outside of the workplace. We are committing to work closely with, listen more intently to, and amplify the voices of our BIPOC employees moving forward. Our hope is to make Ideal Printers a completely safe environment, with advancement opportunities for all, and entirely free of racism. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we also commit to creating a more diverse workforce as future positions open up.
As a business located in Saint Paul’s diverse East Side, we have long supported East Side community organizations like Merrick Community Services, the Sanneh Foundation, and ESABA—who provide family services, mentoring and activities for at-risk youth, a wide range of educational, community, and employment services to anyone in need, and provide support/representation for minority-owned businesses. We remain committed to supporting these and other similar-minded organizations in the years to come and will find ways to deepen our ties with them.
We stand as allies with the Black community and commit to combat racism and injustice. Our hope is that all of us will be brave and bold enough to enact lasting changes that make our communities a better and more just place.
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