Friends and Colleagues,

I am writing to you from Minneapolis, my home of 27 years, where the atmosphere has been a stormy one for the last several weeks. From sorrow to hope and everything in between, there is so much to process and emotions are running high. As devastated as our Twin Cities community may be, the phoenix of human kindness is rising from the ashes as we band together to rebuild and commit to being better citizens.

When the CHART Board convened in the wake of George Floyd’s death, we knew we had to make very clear where we stand on the issue of racial inequity and social justice. Your board members are some of the most terrific humans I have ever known, and it was no surprise that we were all in alignment. We know it is critical to represent and honor CHART’s core values in the wake of what has become a world-wide movement.

CHART is not silent on this matter. CHART is not neutral. Black Lives Matter to CHART.

• Our current board is comprised of seven White people. We understand that LEARNING is the first step in the work we have to do. While we know we can never understand what it is like to be Black, we can use our privilege to be better allies by listening to our colleagues and facilitating positive change.
• We want our members SHARING their ideas and experiences to help guide us toward even more inclusion and opportunities for minorities in hospitality. CHART’s impact on a multi-cultural workforce is significant, and we will be actively seeking your ideas for making us better and stronger.
• We commit to GROWING and evolving by challenging the status quo and having difficult but necessary conversations. We will work to ensure future CHART content and events are equitably accessible. We will provide more platforms for our members of color. With hundreds of new members joining the family in recent weeks, it is the perfect time to add more dimension to our educational and networking offerings.
• As always, we are CARING for each of you and always striving to represent you as best we can. We are still in the throes of a global pandemic that shook our industry to its core. Some of us are without a job, others are working in stressful conditions. Caring for one another – and ourselves – is more important than ever.

CHART members represent 43 of our 50 states and six countries outside the USA. Our diversity is what makes us vital to our equally diverse industry. Your CHART Board is committed to taking actions that will amplify Black and minority voices. From virtual discussion forums to affinity groups to breakout sessions, we will continue to do more. Amplifying, listening, and learning is only the beginning as we strive to do a better job confronting the policies, procedures, and systems that foster the continuation of systemic racism.

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

With Nelson Mandela’s words, I send you wishes for peace and love.

We can do better, and we will.

Serah Morrissey, CHART President