Bishop Dr. William Barber’s homily at the Inaugural Prayer Service this morning was a powerful call to “break the chains of injustice,” to move America toward a Third Reconstruction. He proclaimed love is our salvation—love that must be proven in action.

We rejoice in his inspiring words. And in his fierce, movement-building leadership, grounded in love, of Repairers of the Breach and the Poor People’s Campaign.

Barber emphasized Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz’s admonition: “We should not ask how much will it cost to address inequality, but how much has it cost us not to.” Schott has documented the deep disparities undergirded by systemic racism in our Loving Cities Index—and we know that the human and societal toll of denying opportunity to children of color and their families magnifies even further the egregious economic toll. As Bishop Barber put it this morning, as he called for a Third Reconstruction:

We cannot accept the racial disparities and racial violence and breaches that impact Black, Brown, Native, and Asian Americans while offering collateral damage to our poor white brothers and sisters—and our entire democracy.

We are proud to call Bishop Barber a partner. Proud to have honored him with our Lifetime Achievement Award at Schott’s 25th anniversary celebration.

With Bishop Barber and all of our grassroots and philanthropic partners truly committed to achieving justice for all, we believe hope and love will prevail in the struggles ahead, that our nation’s breaches may be repaired.