Choosing hope for humankind

I choose hope.

I choose hope as more of my brothers and sisters die, as my heart breaks, as my blood boils, as my stomach churns, as I try to manage my fear, as my community suffers, as the lives of our citizens of color are devalued.

I choose hope as I reflect upon: the traumatic legacy of slavery in the Americas; the consequences of systemic racism which we experience on a daily basis; and the continuing disparities in economic, educational, health, and legal outcomes between Americans of color, native Americans, and white Americans.

I choose hope because, although my military service is over, the oath I once took to support and defend the ideals represented in our constitution, still hold true for me.

I choose hope because, as a military veteran, I understand the challenges associated with operating under adverse and stressful conditions where split-second decisions with life-changing consequence are regularly made and where the standards of accountability, integrity, and performance, are (and must be) high and unforgiving.

I choose hope because two key tenets of my faith are love and forgiveness.

I choose hope because I strongly believe that Greater Twin Cities United Way’s work improving educational outcomes, increasing earnings, providing a safety net combined with the organization’s equity work, is making Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream a reality and honoring Malcolm X’s journey.

I choose hope because I believe in humankind and in the difference that caring people, working together, can make in creating a more just and equitable community.

I choose hope because I believe in our future.

Craig Warren is chief operating officer of Greater Twin Cities United Way and a United States Army veteran. He’s deeply committed to working towards achieving an equitable society. Craig and his family have called this area home for the past six years.

Connect with Craig on LinkedIn