In the wake of George Floyd’s death, the words “I can’t breathe” ring true for me, too. As a Black woman and founder and managing principal of Worthington Advisory, I grieve his death and the deaths of countless others, like Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. With each senseless killing, it gets harder and harder to breathe. 

 

We are at a critical moment in our nation’s history. A moment that is not unlike the Civil Rights Movement, which I lived through and participated in as a child growing up on Worthington Street in Memphis, Tennessee. Those experiences left an indelible mark on me and inspired me to name the firm, Worthington Advisory, reflecting on a historical commitment to social activism. 

 

In order to move forward as a society, we must choose to stand together and say “no more” to police brutality, “no more” to inequality, and “no more” to racial injustice. At the same time, we must have a clear vision of the things we do need more of—more accountability, more cultural competency, more workforce inclusion opportunities and more understanding. At Worthington Advisory, these are the very things we help our clients achieve. 

 

We stand in solidarity with the Black community and denounce anti-blackness and systemic racism. We also commit to use our partnerships and platform to set standards for diversity and workforce inclusion that we will encourage other companies and CEOs to follow. 

 

In the coming weeks, we will facilitate several thought leader discussions, including CEO roundtables on how organizations can play an integral role in systemic change. Through these discussions, we will promote strategic planning and inclusive goal setting aimed at educating, engaging and empowering every employee at every level to be anti-racist. I hope you will email me at jacky@worthingtonadvisory.com to learn more about how you can join us for these important conversations. More importantly, let’s collaborate on an action plan to impact quality change for equality for all. 

 

Jacky Akbari

Founder and Managing Principal

Worthington Advisory