Hate has no home at NextRoll. Our goal from day one is to give every Roller the opportunity to contribute and grow — no matter what someone looks like or where they are from. This is because we know our company and our communities are better places when we work with a diverse group of people to gain deeper insights, understanding, and empathy for one another. 

We've been reminded many times in the past year that unjust systems and racism continue to pervade our society and that our work to elevate marginalized groups is far from complete. As we navigated the global pandemic, Asian American and Pacific Islanders endured a great psychological toll as a result of an increase in violence, hate speech, and harassment throughout the past year, spurred on by inflammatory and xenophobic rhetoric such as describing COVID-19 as the “China virus” or the “Wuhan flu.”

Recently, we've seen these words turn into horrific actions. In the first three months of this year, we witnessed a dramatic rise in hate crimes and violence against Asians. This includes unprovoked attacks on the elderly and culminated in the devastating mass shooting in Atlanta last week, where six of the eight victims were from the AAPI community. This hate must stop. 

I believe the work to promote antiracism and inclusive actions rests on each of our shoulders and begins first with a commitment to listening and learning. I’ve spent the last few weeks in dialogue with our AAPI Rollers, many of whom participate in our RollAsia employee resource group (ERG). Thank you to the many individuals who demonstrated vulnerability and bravery in sharing their experiences with me. Through these conversations, I’ve learned more about the long history of hate crimes, scapegoating, and silencing of the Asian community, and how outsiders too often overlook the oppression and dismiss the discrimination this community experiences. To our AAPI Rollers and communities across this country, let me say I see you, I hear you, and I stand with you.

In solidarity, NextRoll holds itself accountable to listen, learn, and act to support our AAPI communities. We match our words with sustained actions by collaborating with our RollAsia ERG to elevate AAPI voices and create safe spaces for shared dialogue. We pledge to continue these conversations across our organization with education, training, and resources to build AAPI allyship within and outside of NextRoll. To extend our impact beyond our company, NextRoll is pledging $25,000 in donations to organizations supporting and advancing justice for the AAPI community. We will also connect our Rollers with volunteer opportunities in our local communities.

We know real change comes from collective and consistent action. It’s up to all of us to do our part to end systemic racism, to use our voices and actions to stand up for what’s right, to support our diverse communities, to condemn acts of violence, and to fight discrimination, bias, and racism in all forms. Together, our voices are loud, and we can drive change.