My commitments as a student of anti-racisim
On June 10, 2020 I took a pledge to be an Anti-Racist Small Business. This is not a series of platitudes but a lifelong commitment as a person and a business.
The pledge was written and created, generously, by Rachel Rodgers, Ericka Hines, and Sonya Renee Taylor which outlines five clearly stated specific practices for any small business. All commitments outlined are their language with my specific practice attached.
Read, learn and take the pledge here: helloseven.co/townhall-2
1. “Name White Supremacy and impact of racism on both personal and professional lives.”
We are gravely missing perspective and the missing of perspective has been “normalized.” I must name the system in me that I operate from within. As Rachel Ricketts says, “Knowing your specific privilege informs your personal work.”
I am committed to an ongoing dismantling of and naming of my own racism as created by covertly existing and blinding benefiting from a white supremacist society.
2. “Engage in anti-racist education for you and your team, minimally of quarterly.”
To be a successful business requires an ongoing investment in skill development and knowledge. To be a successful anti-racist business requires an ongoing investment in anti-racism education led by Black folx.
I am committed to a minimum of 6 hours of anti-racism education every quarter.
3. “Commit to open-conflict and discomfort.”
I am not open to allowing racist ideas, overt AND covert, to be perpetuated in any way. I am open to and am actively challenging white folx. As Ericka Hines says, “Be humble and ready to fumble.”
I am committed to breaking with white solidarity.
4. “Invest a portion of your monthly company budget to the Black community.”
Business services are dominated by whiteness. The goal is to actively invest at least 30% of monthly and annual business operational expenses to Black-owned and operated business services, online vendors, and freelancers.
I am committed to divesting at least 30% of my business costs from white-owned and operated companies and investing 30% in Black-owned companies to support the running of my business. This does not include investments in anti-racist education.
5. “Express your sincere, long-term commitment to becoming an anti-racist organization.”
I understand as a white woman and white-owned business I can never totally be anti-racist because racism is synonymous with whiteness. My goal is to do less harm and act in allyship as much as possible.
I am committed to sharing public and permeant statements that illustrate my commitment to equity and anti-racism that are not just aspirational but actionable.