We at Sequoia Park Zoo are proud to lend our support of this statement from the Board of Directors of our national trade and accrediting organization the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, in response to the current crisis we are facing in this country regarding ongoing racial injustice. We see this as not a political issue as much as a humanitarian one, and zoos are as much about humans as they are about wildlife.
Gretchen Ziegler, Sequoia Park Zoo Director
Leigh Pierre-Oetker, Sequoia Park Zoo Foundation Executive Director
Statement of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Board of Directors On Social and Racial Justice, Inclusion and Equity
AZA Board Statement Adopted June 2, 2020
The killing of George Floyd is shockingly and disturbingly evil. And Ahmaud Arbery. And Breonna Taylor. And Eric Garner. And on and on. It is often said that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing. The evil behind these tragedies is grounded in privilege, and in prejudice and callous indifference toward black people and black lives. It must end, so good people and organizations must act with much greater urgency and intention.
We share the outrage over these senseless killings and stand in solidarity with people of color and communities who are struggling to be heard and yearning to be safe. We recommit to eliminating all aspects of brutality, racism, and injustice that persist in our world, our nations, our communities, and our profession; to listening; to learning; to celebrating, supporting, and protecting human diversity as passionately as we do the diversity in nature.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums envisions a world where all people respect, value, and conserve wildlife and wild places. That vision says “all people,” so to achieve it we must create a world where black people are safe and welcomed in our communities, our member facilities, in nature, and the field of conservation.
Our 240 member organizations aspire to be welcoming and peaceful places, equally accessible, so that all may enjoy and learn about the planet’s diversity. We revel in the differences we find in the natural world and the opportunity to present those differences to all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender or class. At this precarious moment, we are asking our members to reflect on recent events, to listen even more intently to their communities, to listen and support their employees of color, to speak out, to act peacefully, and inspire peaceful action in others. Doing nothing, or even little, will allow evil to continue to triumph.
