Letter to the editor: PNC's commitment on racism

When PNC announced its plan to fund efforts to end racism and empower the Black community (“PNC commits $1 billion to programs, efforts to stem systemic racism,” June 18, TribLIVE), I was proud to see such a meaningful commitment from a well-known, Pittsburgh-based institution.

I was particularly moved by PNC CEO William S. Demchak’s quote, “This is about much more than writing a check.” Reading this caused me to reflect: In addition to contributing monetarily to Black-led causes, what can we do to make the world a safer and more equitable place?

At Nazareth Prep, 80% of our students are Black, and 100% receive financial aid. We collaborate with companies like PNC to offer student internships, recruit in Black communities and provide personalized education to meet the needs of every student. We know we are on the right track, but feel inspired to do better.

Today, we announced Nazareth Prep’s new executive director and head of school, Rita Canton, whose background includes a master’s degree focused on Black spirituality and social justice issues. We can think of no one better to lead our school into the future.

I hope more organizations will be inspired by PNC’s admirable efforts.

Sister Linda Yankoski

Emsworth

The writer is president/CEO of Holy Family Institute and Nazareth Prep.