Our communities are hurting. As we reach the 14th day of protests here in Denver against police brutality and systemic racism, the Corona team has been listening, learning, and reflecting.
We mourn with our Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) neighbors and friends at the injustices they face at the hands of systems that oppress them. This is a reckoning moment for our country, as we collectively acknowledge that our country’s history is one characterized by systemic racism and oppression; that we live in a country built by Black bodies through Black oppression and Black death. Children have different opportunities in life simply because of the zip code into which they were born. Data can predict a person’s life span based on his or her ethnic identity—this disparity is one of many symptoms of a system in need of revision.
In our work, inequity of ethnic and sexual minorities consistently presents stories of worse public health outcomes, access to resources, opportunities for advancement, and the ability to participate in research due to the time and access to technology or transportation that this requires. Like everyone, Corona researchers are imperfect humans with our own blind spots that we have been inspired to recognize and address. Members of our staff have been active in the community, re-educating ourselves on the realities of minority experiences in our own communities, and engaging in honest conversations with our coworkers, friends, family, and neighbors.
At Corona Insights, our roles as researchers, evaluators, and consultants are vital because we are a window of communication between leaders and the public, and we are an advisor to those leaders. As a company, we prioritize uncovering the truth for the good of all, and this includes engaging the community, lifting up the voice of the underserved, and identifying structural barriers to equity.
We do not believe in simply checking boxes: we are getting to work. As an organization, we are deepening our efforts to listening, learning, and acting with equity. We understand that delivering on promises of equity and justice will require ongoing work and steadfast commitment. Earlier this year, our team formed an equity task force. As one result of this initiative, Corona Insights is hiring a Colorado-based diversity consultant to create an actionable plan for how Corona Insights can further embrace and express an equitable perspective in our work.
We will emphasize the importance of this present moment in history.
We will take pride in stating clearly that Black Lives Matter.
We will listen. We will learn. We will grow.
