A letter from our president, Joana Mckenna

As an immigrant and leader of a Utah-based company, I wanted to share some feelings directly from my heart: grief, frustration, and confusion. Like many, I’ve had a hard time processing the recent series of racist hate crimes against the Asian community.
 
I’m filled with grief that I need to worry about the safety of my closest friends and colleagues… having a genuine concern if they will be attacked while walking in their neighborhoods. The idea that my best friend can be attacked - simply because she is Asian - is beyond frustrating. I’m confused on how people can sit ideally by when hate crimes against Asians have increased by 1900% since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
This past year has been painful for all of us. The pandemic has forced us to keep physically distant from each other. However, this physical distance should not manifest into misplaced anger, hate, or fear. There is no reason for Asians to be considered as a threat nor should anyone have to explain their reason for simply being.
 
Now more than ever, we must stand against racism, refusing to justify or tolerate its existence.
 
I deeply care about the immigrant community I belong to. I’m very proud of the impact ecommerce has made on the global home industry and how it has led to some of the biggest growth in home trends of recent years. Walker Edison is closely connected to the APAC Regions as we have long-standing operations in China, Malaysia, Vietnam and we continue to source key materials from across our APAC vendors.
 
Walker Edison stands against racism. We will continue to use our platform to speak up against hate; actively be anti-racist; and push for greater diversity, equity and inclusion in our workplace, the global home industry, and beyond. Together, we can support the Asian community and stop the hate.
 
Much Love,
Joana