Meeting the Moment

As an organization, we are committed to breaking down the deeply rooted systemic injustices brought to light this week following the murder of George Floyd. We stand in solidarity with our students, their families and our schools in the fight against racism and injustice, which are affronts to our values and everything we stand for at NYC Outward Bound Schools.

So, how do we respond when confronted by the horrors of incidents taking place across our country in which people of color, and in particular Black people, are mistreated, devalued, dehumanized and even murdered? We respond with outrage, and declare that the time for action is now. We pledge to:

• Share and uplift the messages of those organizations leading the movement for equity and change, because we have much to learn from them. 
• Ally ourselves with our partner schools and the many other organizations that, like us, are committed to pro-equity and anti-racist work because the work is too challenging to go at it alone.
• Examine and acknowledge our own shortcomings, and continue to educate ourselves and engage in conversation and change related to systemic racism — ultimately using those learnings to inform our work. 

But the single best thing we can do to meet the demands of this moment is to double down on our commitment to disrupting and dismantling the inequities that have, until now, prevented too many of our young people from getting the education they need and deserve — the kind of education that eschews passivity in the face of injustice and instead teaches young people to be agents of change in their schools and communities by exercising their power to fight against it whenever they encounter it; the kind of education that empowers young people to work to eradicate hate and build bridges of understanding, respect and trust among people of all backgrounds. 

#BlackLivesMatter. Black dreams, hopes and futures matter. NYC Outward Bound Schools is committed to help make those dreams and hopes come alive, and those futures filled with unlimited possibility.

In the spirit of learning, we encourage you to share with us resources that you find helpful — articles, books, discussion boards, social media accounts, TV shows, documentaries, podcasts — that can help us all meet the moment.