We know many of us are feeling outrage, devastation, fear and frustration. This is a painful time for our country, for our association, for our members and our communities. The events taking place in our cities and country are overwhelming and heartbreaking. Like so many of you, we have been deeply saddened and angered by the senseless deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and too many others, which reflect the systemic and institutional racism that unfortunately still exist today.
As Realtors, we have an obligation to be fair and inclusive to all. Equality and inclusion are constitutional rights and basic tenets of our Realtor Code of Ethics, our Bylaws, and of the foundation of humanity. As an industry, we abide by the Fair Housing Act and local fair housing laws, which make it illegal to discriminate in the sale or rental of housing based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin or other protected statuses, like source of income. We take very seriously our responsibility to treat all fairly.
Recent events are stirring many collective emotions in each of us, transcending our individual identities. We cannot remain silent and accept these unnecessary and unjust deaths. We must stand with the Black community and center their voice. We owe it to our employees, our members, and our communities to vehemently condemn brutality and injustice.
In South Florida, we have long valued and leveraged the diversity that enhances our workforce, our association and our communities. As the nation’s largest Local Realtor Association representing 52,000 members, we acknowledge the opportunity and responsibility to bring about positive change. We implore our members, elected officials and communities to pledge to fight racism and injustice alongside us.
We must all do our part . . .
Eradicating racism and being agents of meaningful change starts with speaking out. But it does not end there. We all have a role to play in changing the landscape ahead of us. We must listen to, learn from, and center the Black community and all other communities that are disproportionately affected by racism and injustice. We must get and stay involved in community-led initiatives. We must promote unity, not divisiveness. We must set aside politics and focus on our humanity. We must ensure that our leaders, professionals, and members are diverse, and that all of our systems value inclusivity.
We take pride in standing with the Black community as we work together for a better Miami and South Florida.
THAT’S WHO WE R,
Jorge L. Guerra Jr., Chairman of the Board
MIAMI Association of Realtors
