The JetBlue Foundation Stands Against Racial Injustice

Dear Partners –

All lives can’t matter until Black ones do. Since 2013, the JetBlue Foundation has championed for more diversity in STEM and aviation. However, we cannot fully affect the future talent pipeline into aviation without acknowledging the injustices Black people and communities of color face on a daily basis. In order to create an equitable STEM and aviation industry, we need to first ensure the safety and well-being of the very students for whom we are creating a flight plan.

The tragic and unnecessary deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others have ignited a difficult conversation on systemic and institutional racial inequality and the continuous disadvantages people of color face. We are in alignment with JetBlue’s mission to Inspire Humanity. As a values-based airline, we have a long history of using our voice to unite our crewmembers, customers and the communities we serve during difficult times. We try to make change in ways that are authentic to us. Read a message from JetBlue’s CEO and President & COO here.

The JetBlue Foundation introduces students to the vast array of careers in STEM and aviation. The events of the past few weeks have made us realize just how important our work is and how much more we have to do to ensure equity in these fields. The biggest barrier to these careers is access. It is our responsibility to dig deeper to uncover the causes of these barriers, especially among communities traditionally underrepresented in STEM and aviation. We are committed to getting to the root of these obstacles and taking action to help eradicate them.

Real change starts through honest conversation among people from different backgrounds and perspectives and continues through actions that can make a better future for all. We’re committed to using our platform to advocate for change within aviation and society at large. Many of our partners have shared with us how they are combating racism. In the next few days, we will share resources on jetbluefoundation.org from some of our education partners to help in talking to students about these difficult topics. If you have resources or tips that you may like to share for others to use with their students, please email us at askjbfoundation@jetblue.com.

In addition to facilitating more dialogue, we’re also identifying ways to use our next granting cycle and resources to specifically help in underserved communities that have been disproportionately affected by socioeconomic and racial disparity from the coronavirus pandemic.

The JetBlue Foundation team will be connecting with you soon to check-in. Please let us know if there are ways that we may be able to help your organization and students during these challenging times.

Sincerely,

Ursula Hurley
President of the JetBlue Foundation