The violent insurrection at the US Capitol yesterday was an horrific attack on democracy.  We join many others in condemning those involved, including Donald Trump for inciting this violence and praising those defacing the Capitol Building and terrorizing those serving our nation.  We have been heartened by the strong statements from college and university presidents across the country.  It is crucial that higher education and the investment industry call out this ongoing threat to our democracy.  

It is also critical to recognize that so many of the lies and conspiracy theories threatening a peaceful transfer of power are fueled by explicitly racist ideologies proactively working to preserve and strengthen white supremacy in America.  Colleges and universities must continue to enhance and improve their efforts on anti-racism, and this extends to how endowment capital is invested.  The investment management industry must continue to change and proactively invest for racial equity across all investments, and engage with the social media and tech companies they own to address their role in enabling these destabilizing and dangerous trends.  

It is our hope that these events -- like so many of the other painful challenges over the past year -- provoke meaningful reforms and an awakening that will help us shift from an extractive, inequitable system, to an equitable, regenerative society.