CUNA announced Friday it is a founding organization of the Credit Union Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Collective, a group within the credit union movement devoted to furthering DEI, a shared cooperative principle. The collective launched Friday, June 19, or Juneteeth, the day commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S.

“The CU DEI Collective stands in solidarity with the African American and Black community and pledges to fight alongside against systemic oppression and racism. Our mission is to bring forth social, economic, political, and legal justice for combatting centuries of violent oppression and systemic racism everywhere,” reads part of the collective’s mission statement. “We call on all members of the Credit Union Movement to apply our cooperative principles to create real, meaningful, transformative, and sustained change. We want to be a catalyst for this change.”

Additional information in the collective, how to join and information on contacting the collective is available on its website, CUDEICollective.com.