SSPC and NACE Release Statement on Social Injustice in Society

To Our Membership and the Corrosion and Coating Community:

What we have seen unfold before our eyes this past month has been traumatic for all of us. It is just one of many examples of oppression and violence that has been perpetrated against men and women of color for decades. This system of injustice has been deeply ingrained in our society, and it affects every one of us. It devastates families and has a negative impact on communities, and it must stop.

NACE and SSPC are committed to supporting the professional needs of our members, but we recognize that our industry community is not free of prejudice. While each of us can only control our own individual actions, we can make choices to stand together with our families, friends, colleagues, and communities to demand and create change.

To this point there has not been enough done to address social injustice and inequity but starting now we would like to do our part in driving change. Although we are not a social justice organization, we are prepared to take action that makes the field of corrosion and coatings more diverse because this is not a political issue, it is a humanity issue. We need our members to guide the change they want to see and be proactive to ensure we are inclusive and equitable for all people.

With the launch of the new combined NACE/SSPC organization we are establishing a scholarship fund that will be used to help underrepresented and disenfranchised people worldwide achieve professional success in the corrosion and coatings industry. These funds will be used to provide education, training, mentoring, and access to necessary tools and equipment. We will seed this scholarship with a $50,000 grant and call upon the members of our community to stand up against years of social injustice by contributing to this fund.

Additionally, we are establishing a new transition team to ensure diversity and inclusion is built into the foundation of the new combined organization. We recognize that these are small steps, but this problem will only be solved when individuals, community groups, companies and organizations like ours do as much as possible to drive change.

Therefore, we ask our NACE and SSPC members to consider what they and their companies can do to build a fair and just world for all humanity. We pledge to make this an ongoing effort that will live beyond this moment in time because equality and opportunity must be a part of our industry and our organization.

Together we can make a difference.