A Message from Paroon Chadha: “You are not alone.”

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Like you, I’ve watched the events of the last week unfold and felt a combination of heartbreak and outrage. Ever since I arrived in the United States in 1999 as a student at Purdue University, I have seen up close and personal how amazing – and how difficult – this country can be. I can look outside my window in Chicago and immediately see the impact of inequality.

I do not write today to offer a solution. Instead, I want to share a personal message with my colleagues, customers, and partners of color: you are not alone. While I understand that our heartbreak and outrage are not enough, please know that I am here for you, now and always. Black lives do matter.

At Passageways, we call our corporate culture sahyog. It is a Hindi word derived from the concept of “culture of togetherness.” I feel strongly that it is our responsibility to raise our voices together and be an active part of creating a better country. We all have to do our part together, and do it earnestly.

I know that some will say that that it is inappropriate for me to write these words in public. I respectfully disagree. As an eternal believer in the American Dream, I feel these lines from the book “American Politics: A Promise of Disharmony” are a great lens to use today.

Critics say that America is a lie because its reality falls so far short of its ideals. They are wrong.
America is not a lie. It is a disappointment.
But It can be a disappointment only because it is also a hope.

Namaste. 

Paroon Chadha 
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer 
Passageways, Inc.