Gwen, Inc. is a company devoted to diversity, equity and inclusion. The company joined the reactivated Social Justice Task Force based in Auburn, New York to work with other community leaders on creating a community committed to equality and access for all its citizens. The group’s first act was to host a demonstration for solidarity for racial justice on June 6th at NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center. The event theme was Not in Harriet’s Hometown. Gwen Webber-McLeod, President/CEO was invited to read the Social Justice Task Force Purpose Statement. Watch and/or read below.
Social Justice Task Force Purpose Statement
The Social Justice Task Force is a Cayuga County based coalition of social justice organizations, and public and private organizations who have joined together to send a message of Unity to our community.
With the recent death of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer, the NAACP, Auburn Human Rights Commission, Harriet Tubman Center for Justice and Peace, Harriet Tubman Boosters, Gwen, Inc., Beverly L. Smith Empowerment Initiative, City of Auburn, NY, Cayuga County Sheriff, Celebrate! Diverse Auburn, Auburn Public Theater and the Auburn City Police Department formed this Task Force to collectively cry “Enough is Enough”! This cry is being heard throughout the United States, and countries around the world to demand justice and accountability for the actions of law enforcement that have resulted in the murder of African American people.
The world at large has been experiencing three major social justice ills: mass shootings, terrorist attacks, and social injustices against people of color. The novel pandemic, Covid-19, and the resulting national quarantines have reduced the incidents of mass shootings and terrorist attacks; however, acts of violence against people of
color have continued to occur. Racism is a pandemic in and of itself that we must attempt to cure. We cry Enough is Enough!
We believe urgency of action is necessary to address these collective issues and the members of the Social Justice Task Force are working in partnership with the local law enforcement and civic agencies to educate, and promote community dialogues in order to facilitate positive change, and confront racial injustice and systemic
racism. Ultimately, we will hold ourselves and others accountable for doing this work.
As the chosen hometown of Harriet Tubman, we have the responsibility to inform, educate, and communicate with citizens of our city about issues of social justice. It is our goal that through peaceful and informative demonstrations, education, collecting and analyzing data, partnering with the city and county law enforcement, city and county government, the school district, and the community at large the work that has been started will continue and Auburn will be a welcoming and safe place for all who choose to live and work here.
