Message from Mark: Commitment to Change

I am writing you all today to provide an update on the past few weeks as we as an industry continue our response to the death of George Floyd and civil unrest. We are committed to cooperatively leverage our unique business model to serve all people, and instigate real and positive change in our communities.

As Minnesota grieves and processes the events of the past month, I am proud to see our credit unions step-up and help assist. We have witnessed credit unions all over the state help with clean-up efforts and supply donations; revisiting of DE&I policies; having discussions with staff; and reaching out to members.

The Minnesota Credit Union Network itself has had thoughtful conversations with our own staff, our credit union CEOs, and fellow League colleagues, as we work to build a long-term response to difficult challenges. MnCUN has signed onto the CU DEI Collective pledge for a commitment to change. We are supporting the African American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC) and joining with Leagues across the country to help fund scholarships through AACUC’s Commitment to Change Fund.  We will also continue to support initiatives like the Global Women’s Leadership Network to help ensure diverse voices are heard and represented in credit unions. 
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Systemic racism will not go away overnight, but will need a commitment to change from many and multiple issues addressed. Input and dialog with each other and with the African American community is an important initial step - to both understand these issues and explore how our values and the credit union model positions us as an active participant in the solution. I look forward to partnering with credit unions to continue these important discussions.