Remembering George Floyd
A Message from Kraus-Anderson Companies
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (June 4, 2020)– The violent death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 happened just two miles from our front door in Minneapolis, and has sent shock waves throughout the world. The massive destruction of property is a tragic reflection of the pain, fear and outrage our country is feeling, just as George Floyd’s death stands for all of the violence and injustice that has been heaped upon Black Americans and other People of Color over the past 400 years. We, as a nation, have to do better than this. We have to do better. And rather than wait for others to pick up the immense task of rebuilding both structures and systems, we believe it begins with us.
Kraus-Anderson’s foundational principles revolve around collaboration and valuing people. As we work throughout our cities to stabilize, repair, assess and plan to rebuild the structures that have been damaged and lost, we are also working to rebuild the heart of these communities. Our internal teams are working now to coordinate collection drives, corporate-matched funding, blood drives and more to help those most impacted by the tragedy of George Floyd’s death, as well as the ongoing pandemic. We are also working on ways to encourage our employees to have constructive dialogues around race and racism, so that we might come to a new, better place of both understanding and equity.
As our site-essential workers continue to practice social distancing and other stringent COVID-19 safety practices while working productively, they do so with the understanding, and the rightful expectation, that they are working within an atmosphere grounded in respect, and free of discrimination, harassment, offensive, degrading or discriminating remarks, and unwelcome conduct. As we struggle to process all the complexities of systemic racism, and all the stresses and uncertainties of these challenging days, we remind everyone to be kind. To yourself, and to others. Everyone you meet is dealing with a burden, whether seen or unseen. And these days, for all the unevenness of our life experiences, we all are sharing the burden of being members of the human race.
We value our people. We love our community. We grieve together. And we are working together, to rebuild and reinvest in the communities we serve.
Together, Strengthening the Communities We Serve