Co-op Group boss gets behind Black Lives Matter cause
Co-op Group CEO, Steve Murrells, has spoken out on “the horrific killing of George Floyd” in the US.
Floyd died in police custody after an officer put his knee on his neck for nine minutes, sparking protests and riots Stateside and around the world.
“We know we can’t go on like this. A world where people are judged, discriminated against and die due to the colour of their skin is not the world I want, that any of us want. Even though we are not in the USA we all have a part to play,” Murrells said in a LinkedIn post.
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“Some of you experience judgement and discrimination every single day. Both in work and outside of work,” he continued.
“I know I can’t get close to knowing what this feels like, but I want you to know that my ears are pinned back, my eyes are open and, as uncomfortable as it may be, I won’t look away. I know this is happening and it’s unacceptable and intolerable. It must change. We can change it.”
Co-op’s attempts to build an inclusive culture “will only live through actions. Not words alone. There is no doubt we’ve got more to do. We’re well underway but I’m not naive enough to think that we’re even nearly done. We need to go further and faster.”
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That will require some big actions from Murrells, management and employees - “please, don’t underestimate your own power.”
Murrells wrapped things up with a quote from Archbishop Desmond Tutu “which I think encapsulates where I am and where we should be: If you are neutral in situations of injustice you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”
“I don’t have all the answers yet and I don’t under estimate how difficult this will be for all of us. But I wanted to make it unmistakably clear today that we stand together, as one Co-op family,” he concluded.
