File photo Courtesy/Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce
Quincy Hentzel, Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce president and CEO.
August 17, 2020
Over 300 Portland-area employers pledge to fight racial, social injustice
Photo / Tim Greenway
Gimbala Sankare, head of global talent acquisition and diversity at WEX, says, "We cannot abdicate our resonsibilities in ensuring that everyone in our workplace and communities know and feel that they have a voice, they are heard and are welcomed."
More than 300 Portland-area employers have pledged to combat racial and social injustice through education and action as part of a Solidarity in Action movement led by the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce.
"The Chamber fulfills many roles, and I believe that one of our duties is to convene [and] to rally the business community around issues that impact us as employers, as employees and as a community," said Quincy Hentzel, the Chamber's president and CEO, in a news release.
"This is an interesting moment in time where we have the confluence of the pandemic and this movement towards anti-racism and systemic change. The time is now to take meaningful action. We are asking our members and the community to take this step with us, to commit to educating themselves and their employees so they can be better allies to those most affected by injustice."
Over the last two weeks, employers have added their support to a community statement pledging to combat racism and discrimination and to advocate for racial and social equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Early supporters of the pledge include global corporate payments provider WEX Inc. and Unum, the Chattanooga, Tenn.-based disability insurer and group benefits provider with 2,800 employees in Portland.
“I grew up in Maine and believe in this community, but I know that we can and must do better to create more equity for all,” Mike Simonds, Unum's chief operating officer, said in a statement. "Partnering with the Chamber and other area employers on joint action, learning and public commitment to racial equity are small steps that can add up to real change in our community.”
Simonds recently spoke to Mainebiz about Unum's new Social Justice Fund unveiled in early July to create stronger, more equitable communities.
He said then that while his company's has long been committed to equality as a core principal, the Black Lives Matter movement was a catalyst for action.
"Our teams responded and pushed us quickly, and frankly we were anxious and willing to become more vocal and make sure we were able to communicate some of the work happening, as well as increase our commitment," he said in a phone interview.
'Cannot abdicate our responsibilities'
Gimbala Sankare, WEX's head of global talent acquisition and diversity, feels equally strongly about acting now to do what's right.
"The time for many businesses to sit on the sidelines and not make an effort to create a diverse and inclusive culture is long gone," he said in the Chamber’s news release. "We cannot abdicate our responsibilities in ensuring that everyone in our workplace and communities know and feel that they have a voice, they are heard, and are welcomed.”
Portland-based law firm Verrill, another early supporter of the Chamber's initiative, has also joined the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance, a nationwide coalition of about 250 law firms and legal providers dedicated to combating racial injustice.
Joining the alliance "demonstrates our commitment to take meaningful and effective action to end racism," said Jacqueline Rider, chair of Verrill’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee. "Antiracism work is also a continuation of our efforts to ensure Verrill is a diverse and inclusive workplace.”
Those efforts include joining forces with law-firm peers Bernstein Shur and Pierce Atwood to create the Maine Diversity Summer Associate Program, unveiled in December 2019 and launched this year.
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