The last week in American life was undoubtedly one of the worst in American history. Tens of thousands of Americans died in the relentless COVID-19 pandemic. Five were killed in an unprecedented eruption of premeditated political violence. And calls for justice in the face of police brutality against Black Americans were once more denied, this time for the shooting of Jacob Blake. Yet statistics make for poor measures of human suffering. Our capacity to grieve is subsumed by urgency and fear. Our anger strains all sense of reason. But our humanity demands we attend to our collective pain and loss.
The insurrection at the U.S. Capitol stands out for its indelible mark left on our nation – one whose contours are still radiating outward through our society. This moment requires strong, decisive leadership and swift accountability for those whose words or actions abet violence. But the shocking rupture has also revealed the interconnectedness of the crises we face. We are beset at once by ravaging disease, deepening economic strife, impending climate catastrophe and the unchecked impunity of white supremacy. It is injustice everywhere. No single crisis can or should be addressed in isolation, nor can any of us shirk our own responsibility to confront the systemic faults they reveal.
We must each now contend with these failures and recommit to our roles in correcting them. Impact investors have long been working to address the injustices of our economic system by pushing for more transparent and accountable capital markets. And while that is far from the only change needed in this moment, it is a necessary acknowledgement that capital has undoubtedly had a hand in creating these fissures. To move forward, capital must also have a place in mending them. The Alliance remains committed to working alongside allies in both the public and private sectors to meaningfully reimagine systems, dispel inequality and reaffirm our democratic institutions. We can do no less, for in the days to come, we will all be asked to do so much more.