Dismantle systemic racism & end police violence

As an organization we are not going to keep silent.

It is incredibly moving to see the popular uprising of people & organizations working to dismantle systemic racism & end police brutality -- all amidst the pandemic.

As an organization, we are not going to keep silent. The other 3 Minneapolis police officers could have easily taken action to stop a brutal murder, however, they did not. Instead, they were participants in a brutal violent crime. This is not ok. Instead of standing by silently, as those 3 officers did, we are taking action.

Racism and police violence are antithetical to our company values. We do not support it, we do not agree with it. We will actively work to dismantle systemic racism. 

To start, here are a few actions we are taking:

First, We will start by reflecting on the following topics:

• How many Black people have we employed?
• What specific actions will nTop take to combat systemic racism?
• Do we understand how the system has failed Black people?
• Do we recognize our complacency in contributing to systemic racism?
• What organizations will we work closely with to continuously help support the Black community?
• What does the future look like for nTop?
• How will we educate others in our space?
• How can we amplify the voices of the Black community?

Second, We will support other organizations working to dismantle systemic racism by matching employee donation(s), up to $100/employee total, to any of the following organizations:

• National Society of Black Engineers
• Black Lives Matter
• Campaign Zero against police violence
• Community bail funds
• George Floyd Memorial Fund
• Color of Change

Third, We will provide a safe space for our community to voice their concerns, thoughts, & opinions on race & inequality and the popular uprising to break down systemic racism & end police brutality:

• Through organizing open forums for employees to freely share their feelings, experiences, to help each other process, and to receive support.
• Through a Slack channel that we will use to elevate the voices of Black people and businesses, share resources & immediate action steps (donation funds, petitions)

Fourth, All nTop employees can take time to express their right to free assembly, association, & speech by attending protests without it being deducted from PTO. If someone does take time off to attend a protest, we ask two things: please let your manager know & be safe.

Fifth, We will make a concerted effort to recruit more Black team members across all teams at nTop by actively advertising our jobs via job boards specifically supporting Black & minority job seekers. Additionally we will work more closely with Black engineering organizations, like the NSBE to train & recruit Black students.

These are the first of what I hope will be ongoing action to learn, stand up against & ultimately dismantle systemic racism.

--Brad Rothenberg, CEO