George Floyd died in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. We've all seen the video and we all now know his name. Terrible and unnecessary violence like this has happened before but, this time, people are saying, "Enough." A lot of people are saying "Enough". We, the Staff and Board of OLT, feel compelled to speak up as silence is complicit. We add our voice in support of people everywhere who are struggling to end racism and the barbaric treatment of our fellow citizens and co-inhabitants of what could be a more benevolent world.

Can we do better? Yes, we can all do better. We must do better. We will do better. Right now, doing better means many things. They can be simple things. They can be difficult things. Speaking to others about supporting equality, sisterhood and brotherhood, and justice. Committing to treating everyone with respect and, more importantly, listening to others about their own personal experiences of pain and trauma.

Orient Land Trust was established to protect a little patch of land. On that land, there is history, open space, wildlife habitat, miraculous water, and a community. The people of that community come from many places and, while they are here, join together to celebrate nature, the land, the water, and each other. We do not separate ourselves from one another by socio-economic status, skin color, age, or other superficial qualities. Kindness generates more kindness, respect fosters more respect, acting responsibly protects the land, the water, the history, and the people.

With kindness, caring, listening and understanding, we can all help make real change.

Orient Land Trust