On behalf of GeNEUROsity, the T.V. Seshan and Family Foundation in collaboration with Neuro Alert, I would like to share our sincerest thoughts and consideration with all families, past and present, that have suffered needlessly and tragically as a result of the biases, brutality, and bigotry still endemic in our society. It angers my family that there are still people that exhibit such disdain for human life in the year 2020. And yet, there is hope for us to help build a better world.
To more thoughtfully articulate our solidarity with the current movements to promote justice, equality, and diversity tolerance, it is my privilege to invite our colleague, Pastor Ali Hargett, to provide his spiritual reflections on today’s events and feelings, entitled “Resolve.”
Dear Colleagues, Partners, Friends, and Family:
How do we find resolve during times that seem like there is no hope in sight, no comfort to heal the broken spirit, or light to shine in this dark world? We begin to recognize that the issues we face around hate, prejudice, and discrimination have a direct impact on us all, individually and collectively. We can no longer stand aloof from the reality that within the heart of humanity come the basest thoughts, words, and actions. Derived from the same core is the ability to love, be open-minded, and to be impartial. This dichotomy within the human heart and the ability to choose how we conduct our lives and treat others is what makes this life we live an inharmonious melody, with notes of sadness, joy, hurt, healing, pain, and pleasure.
So, what should we do? We look at our faith, our belief system, and our core values rooted in purpose to govern our present and prepare for our future. We accept the commonality of humanity that, at our very core, we all desire to live peaceful, abundant lives and pursue what makes us happy and fulfills us. We can determine to do what is right, to seek justice, and defend those unfairly treated. We can be guided by our consciences, our sense of right and wrong, and acknowledge that every decision we make–great or small–has an indelible impact on us and those around us.
During these difficult times, our clarity and hope are made sure as we observe our resilience amid circumstance and banding with each other, calling out what is wrong and standing together for what is right regardless of race, religion, gender, political or socio-economic background. So, let us aim to do what is right for one another because, at our core, we have two things in common–we are all the same and we are all different. Let’s embrace both.
Let us align ourselves with a tenet of our organizational purpose and “make our mark by changing and saving lives,” recognizing that “this is what inspires us to be the best we can be every day.” Change is inevitable, and we will be actively part of that change. May we all receive the spiritual guidance to do so.
Warmest regards,
Pastor Ali Hargett
I thank Pastor Ali, immensely, for his guiding words and concluding prayer. We can do better–we’re going to do better.
Bryan Stevenson, the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative and a hero to those who have not been served fairly by our justice system, once said, “you don’t change the world with the ideas in your mind, but with the conviction in your heart.” That conviction is represented by the actions we will take to uplift the lives in our communities–especially for the ones that need it the most–in the way we know best. I’d like to announce our support of and contributions toward two organizations this year:
- ACTSO — A division of the NAACP, the Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACTSO) set out to overcome the negative cycle of low expectations of achievement in our underserved minority youth and to inspire scholastic enrichment and preparation for higher education and employment. We are particularly excited about our support for the Greater Harrisburg PA chapter of ACTSO as we explore opportunities to further collaborate on providing on-going coaching and scholastic time, funding, and resources. A special thank you to Sam Johnson for helping to coordinate this new collaboration.
- Equal Justice Initiative — We are proud to support the important campaigns of this organization, founded by Bryan Stevenson, committed to–among an assortment of powerful initiatives–ending racial/economic injustice and protecting human rights for those in need. The story of this organization is rooted in the progress of civil rights in our country. We hope that our contribution will help to promote justice, life, and personal pursuit for even just one more neighbor.
One final thought–Bryan Stevenson also said, “hopelessness is the enemy of justice.” Let’s do our part, together, to build hope with our fellow community members of all races, religions, genders, and backgrounds.
Black __________ Matter
Stories
Ideas
Spirits
Music
Art
Love
Passion
Aspiration
Black Lives Matter
Sincerely,
Karthik Seshan