Like many small business owners, I've struggled over the last several weeks with the best ways to use my voice, platform and privilege to support anti-racism. I'm working behind the scenes to learn and unlearn, engage and support. I'm taking action with protests, donations and hard discussions. But I haven't shared very much publicly. That changes today.
and the moon will rise has taken, and will be held accountable for, the Anti-Racist Small Business Pledge (a big thanks to Rachel Rodgers' Reimagining Small Business Town Hall). As part of that pledge, I am committed to:
- naming white supremacy and the impact of racism on both my personal and professional life;
- engaging in anti-racist education;
- committing to open-conflict and allowing discomfort;
- investing a portion of my budget to the Black community; and
- expressing my sincere, long-term commitment to becoming an anti-racist organization.
A few specific actions I've recently taken:
- participated in "Let's Talk: Discussing Race + Racism in Our Creative Economy", a candid conversation with ~60 creatives across the country about racism and whiteness in the creative, wedding and event industries, and ways to navigate toward inclusivity and diversity;
- enrolled in GirlTrek's Black History Bootcamp, a 21-day walking meditation learning about black women trailblazers throughout history; and
- selected The Loveland Foundation as the recipient of our 5% profit pledge for the second half of 2020 (more on this later).
There's no "right" way to be anti-racist. BIPOC deserve a wide range of support, and these are the ways that speak most sincerely to me and my business at this time.
So know that behind the pretty pictures once again populating my social media feeds, there's genuine *work* happening. I'm stepping into it, not moving on. If you're a white person, I sincerely hope you're committed to doing the same.
And if you find my words or commitment to anti-racism unsettling, I encourage you to dig into why that may be. Sometimes self-reflection is the best place to start.