To all employees, 

Over the past days, the actions leading to the death of George Floyd and the protests across multiple cities have made this a time of deep pain and sadness. All of this reminds us that racism, and the injustices and discrimination that come with it, are all too real in our society today. These events are recent, but the pain behind them is sadly not. Many of our employees and their families have had to live with this reality throughout their lives and we all have the responsibility to make things better. 

Like many of us, I have questioned over the past few days what role I can play in this. Words alone seem futile and can’t do justice to the anger and dismay that the circumstances of George Floyd’s death have evoked in us. At the same time, we have to start with words because this moment is too important for silence. On behalf of the entire leadership team, I want to be clear and emphatic in expressing that we stand in full solidarity and empathy with our own Black employees, their families and African American communities everywhere and we condemn racism of any kind. 

As leaders and as a global company, we have the potential to make a positive impact for our employees and the communities we serve, and I will ensure we are constantly asking ourselves how we can do more to fulfill that responsibility. I, for one, know that I have much to learn and understand. As part of this, I will join members of GLOBE, Gilead’s organization of Black employees, tomorrow to listen as they share ideas and perspectives following the recent events. We will share some key takeaways following the meeting. 

I hope that we can all find ways to support each other during these difficult times. I also hope that with such an intense spotlight on racial injustice right now, some positive actions will come out of this that will benefit communities today and generations to come.  

Dan