Statement About the Murder of George Floyd

ISSUE DATE: June 2, 2020

Statement of:    Timothy P. Murray, President and CEO, Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce

Robert D. Cox, Jr., Chair, Board of Directors, Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce
and Managing Partner, Bowditch & Dewey

Like so many this past week, at the Chamber we have been distraught by the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

His murder is counter to the fundamental concepts on which our country was founded. Concepts embodied in the words of the Declaration of Independence that state “we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.’” As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, if we are to “rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed” our nation must do better to ensure these rights are available to all Americans, regardless of race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation.

As an organization that has played a prominent role in the business and community affairs of Worcester and Central Massachusetts for nearly 150 years, the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce recognizes our obligation to speak out and acknowledge the discrimination that has so adversely impacted black Americans for generations.

We strongly support the right of those who protest peacefully and applaud the many who have done so in seeking to bring about needed change. We condemn those smaller groups and individuals who have chosen a path of violence and vandalism.

Discrimination and racism, dates back to the origins of this country. While progress has been made since then, the recent murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery reinforce that a greater urgency and obligation is required from all people in our society. There is an urgency to seek, not only equal justice under the law for all Americans, but equal economic and educational opportunities as well. We all have an obligation to be especially cognizant of this for those who have been subjected to systemic racism over generations, namely black Americans.

As the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce prepares for its 150th anniversary in 2025, we vow to redouble our efforts to help build a community in Worcester and Central Massachusetts that provides equal justice and opportunity for all segments of society.

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