A Message from TSIA’s President and CEO, J.B. Wood
The very public death of George Floyd and others at the hands of police has forced all of us to stand up, pay attention, and to wonder, “How could this be happening?” It has caused all of us to do some needed soul searching: Do I think or act in a racist way? Do we (TSIA) think or act in a racist way? What about my family? My group of friends? My community? Our government? The truth is that this problem is here and now…and always has been.
I agree with what Mr. Robinson says in his quote above completely. Words are not enough. We can and should act, as people, a company, and an industry, without prejudice. I intend to go further than I ever have to ensure both those statements are true and in practice. It also includes providing support to the movement with our words. But what keeps going around in my head is: Words are not enough. And my personal actions and those of TSIA are not enough.
But what is enough? What action can we take that will really make a difference? At TSIA, we’ve been having that discussion. We have asked every employee to think hard, scan the horizon, and make recommendations.
First, we felt strongly about upgrading our diversity, equity and inclusion statement to be clearer and more prescriptive about what we aspire to, what we believe in, and specifically, how we will go about moving towards a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable world and a just company, community and society. We recognize that, as a research and advisory firm to the technology industry, we are in a unique position to engage not only to mobilize our employees, but also the TSIA member community in this journey.