Lately, I, like so many of us, have been sitting with a lot of heaviness.
What we’ve seen across the country, particularly in Minneapolis at the hands of ICE, is jarring. This is more than just news; it is painful, alarming, and deeply personal. These moments force us to confront the consequences of systems that too often fail to protect people’s dignity, safety, individuality, and humanity.
As someone who helps lead Codeword’s DEI work, I want to be very clear: we are watching heinous crimes against humankind on a public stage. These are real lives, real families, and real communities experiencing loss, fear, and so much uncertainty.
This brutality isn’t new. Immigrants and marginalized communities have long endured deliberate, systemic targeting. Today, we’re witnessing this violence unfold in real time, from multiple angles, across our feeds — then being told not to believe our own eyes. As professionals in the digital space, we know better. This isn’t “protecting Americans”. It’s desecrating humanity.
I’m proud that Codeword never loses sight of the fact that we are people first, and we do our best to show up with integrity and care during moments like this.
For us, that means naming what’s happening, standing in alignment with our values, and supporting the organizations doing the work to protect immigrant communities and basic human rights. It also means extending care to ourselves and to one another, because these moments take a toll.
If you’re like us and looking for ways to help those on the ground in Minnesota, here are some nonprofit organizations where you can donate:
I’m grateful to work alongside people who believe that words matter, values matter, and silence is never neutral.
May we continue to shed light on what matters and find ways to show up with compassion and intention.