CHICAGO, June 11, 2020 — Our society has a tragic and appalling history of racial and ethnic inequality and injustice. The brutal and horrific killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, and countless other racist acts, make clear that this history continues to this day. It is impossible for those of us who are not African Americans to fully grasp the black community’s overwhelming hurt, anger, and frustration as they have sought and continue to seek the fundamental right to be treated equally and to simply matter. But all of us—mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, co-workers, and friends—can recognize and acknowledge the anguish and sorrow within and around us and offer our understanding, our support, and our commitment to do better.

This starts with stating exactly what we believe: we deplore and repudiate racism, hatred, bigotry, prejudice, racial injustice, and racial inequality in all of their forms. They do not belong anywhere in our society. And, NORC stands with our African American staff members, partners, colleagues, respondents, friends, and community members at large in working together to create a more equitable and just future.

We must also rededicate ourselves to our mission. Over the years, social science research has demonstrated time and again how racial and ethnic injustice leads to lasting and heart-breaking inequality across every aspect of human experience. As we move forward, NORC commits that we will focus more deeply and comprehensively than ever before to shine a light on issues of racial and ethnic inequality and disparities, as well as the means of addressing them. We will partner more closely and directly with community-based organizations and the affected communities to truly understand the issues and develop viable solutions. Working together, we will reveal the data behind the sentiments, contribute to public knowledge on key issues facing society, and illuminate a path to deeper understanding that ultimately helps build a better world.

We will also turn that lens on ourselves. As an organization that prides itself on our core values of diversity and inclusion, we will recommit our resources and energy to ensuring that we are fully and authentically realizing those principles in everything we do. Whether in our recruiting and hiring practices, our care in representing underrepresented or unheard communities in our research, or in our daily work environment, NORC will work harder—and with clear and transparent dedication of purpose—to ensure that racial equality is a bedrock foundation of our organization’s future.

Dan Gaylin
President & CEO
NORC at the University of Chicago