The American poet Langston Hughes famously wrote, “Oh, let America be America again,” in a poem about maintaining our hope in what we dream America could be, even as we face the cruelest realities of what it is.
As part of the Neumann Kaffee Gruppe, we are part of a diverse, global family of green coffee companies that for decades have helped improve the lives of the most vulnerable communities in coffee-growing countries. Today, it has become impossible, as we witness racism laid so bare, and the basic tenets of democracy tested, to ignore the need to also meaningfully confront vulnerabilities at home.
We believe this is a moment to make a commitment to change and not just to express support for those calling for it.
Our NKG operating values state that we are: Emotional, professional, cooperative, proactive and responsible. If we are to strive to “let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed,” as Hughes wrote, we must be consistently true to our values.
We are getting to work, and we look forward to sharing specific details with you soon. •
