Our hearts are so very heavy as we mourn the death of George Floyd, and witness the outpouring of anger and grief among our fellow Americans for this senseless loss of life. We know that our namesake Frances Perkins would suffer with those closest to him, and for the generations upon generations of men, women, and children, who have faced and continue to face danger and unspeakable indignities simply because of the color of their skin.

Above all, Perkins would recognize this time as presenting an opportunity for necessary change to address the social inequities of racism and income inequality that have existed for far too long, placing disproportionate burdens on the most vulnerable members of our society. We of the Frances Perkins Center will continue to call out wrongs and seek solutions, recognizing the truth spoken by our namesake:

The process of recovery is not a simple one. We cannot be satisfied merely with makeshift arrangements which will tide us over the present emergencies. We must devise plans that will not merely alleviate the ills of today, but will prevent, as far as it is humanly possible to do so, their recurrence in the future.

Frances Perkins firmly believed that people should speak out when they saw injustice, and she said that “a healthy discontent keeps us alert to the changing needs of our time.” Critical of those in power, especially when she witnessed them depriving the most vulnerable people of their basic human needs, she was a social activist, volunteering at settlement houses and advocating for suffrage as a young woman. She learned early on that true systemic change would only occur when laws and regulations were promulgated to address daunting problems head on. She dedicated her life to finding real solutions to the most pressing of problems of her time.

When facing injustice, she said that she felt personally responsible, and so should we. As an organization honoring and preserving Frances Perkins’ legacy, we study history to understand and to teach how principled individuals, working collaboratively and through their governments, can change the world for the better.

Perkins channeled her anger at injustice and economic insecurity into a comprehensive set of policies that she presented to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She agreed to join his cabinet as Secretary of Labor only if he would agree to support her work to develop lasting laws for ALL Americans, so that they might enjoy what she called “the best possible life.” The results included Social Security, unemployment insurance, and the minimum wage, the mainstays of our contemporary social safety net.

Today, we know that Frances Perkins would be encouraged by the young people speaking out and showing their willingness to work for change. She’d be listening to the protesters, and taking notes to develop them into policy prescriptions with the help of the most knowledgeable experts she could find. She wouldn’t expect them to agree, but she would insist that they support their arguments with solid data.

We believe that if she were alive now, her priorities would include recognizing the responsibility we share as a nation for the unjust treatment of people of color. She would charge us to work together towards a more equitable distribution of wealth, for more comprehensive unemployment insurance and universal health care, for expansion of Social Security, and towards a brighter future for our children as citizens of a just and sustainable world.

Sarah Peskin, Board Chair

Michael Chaney, Executive Director