OUR COMMITMENT TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY
Since the beginning, our business has been people and their well-being. It is evident in good times and crucial when circumstances become difficult.
After months of suffering and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the tragic killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, and the countless others before them and more since, have compounded the country’s collective despair by highlighting the continued racial injustice afflicting the Black community.
While we have always worked to ensure we have policies and programs in place that seek to address racial inequality, we recognize we can – we must – do more. To that end, the leadership team at Raymond James is making the following pledge:
Expand Black representation among our associates, advisors and corporate leadership through recruitment, investment in college pipeline programs, and mandated candidate pool diversity at the leadership level.
Establish explicit goals and implement transparent reporting to strengthen leadership accountability for hiring and retention of Black associates and advisors.
Launch a mentoring initiative to support the professional development and business growth of our Black associates and advisors.
Develop and deliver a training curriculum and resource portal that will include required courses on a variety of topics including unconscious bias training for every Raymond James associate and advisor.
Pledge an initial $1.5 million to support advancement of our Black communities, racial equality, financial literacy and empowerment, and volunteerism opportunities – in addition to declaring Juneteenth a firmwide day of service and education to ensure we continue the dialogue on racial equality and support our Black communities.
Raymond James must do more to attract and develop Black professionals, and we are committed to being leaders in changing this longstanding shortcoming in our industry.
Fulfilling this pledge will require the focus of all of our leaders, associates and advisors, both internally as well as in our communities. We are dedicated to this intention, not only because it is the right thing to do, but it will make Raymond James an even better firm.
Our continued emphasis on people – our associates, advisors, clients and communities – gives us purpose, strength and a way forward. Today and always, we strive to be a financial services firm as unique as the people we serve.
Signed by Raymond James leadership including members of the Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Operating Committee, and the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council:
