Amid a battle against a global pandemic, a disturbing trend arose in the United States: anti-Asian violence. Asian Americans have faced increasing discrimination and violence since the coronavirus outbreak began.
Over the past several years, Regions Bank has been on a journey toward fostering greater diversity, equity and inclusion across the organization.
In the wake of the recent attacks on Asian Americans, including the tragic shootings in Atlanta, Regions President and CEO John Turner and Clara Green, head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, shared a direct message with associates. Here are their words in full.
From Regions President and CEO John Turner and Clara Green, head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Regions:
In some ways, an organization is similar to a family – every voice and perspective matters. We believe that’s certainly the case at Regions, and it’s why we take time to have deeper conversations around culture and heritage. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made in transforming how we think and talk about diversity, equity and inclusion. To continue building on this positive momentum, we must be willing to address discrimination when we see it and support those who are impacted by it.
One of the devastating impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic is the recent increase in violence and discrimination against the Asian American community. This injustice hits home for our Asian American co-workers, and we’re committed to standing with them and giving them our full support. In addition to the counseling resources available through our Employee Assistance Program, our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion team is ready to help associates who are dealing with issues related to racially motivated violence and discrimination.
By acknowledging the pain and struggle people around us experience, we’re demonstrating our collective purpose to foster a culture that values diversity and inclusion. We’ve seen the Regions team stand united together to bring our mission and values to life in challenging times. Thank you for taking that stand once again to show support for our Asian American teammates, customers, friends and neighbors.