We stand in solidarity with black people around the world. And we want to do more to help, but we’re not sure how.
We’ve spoken with some of our African-Canadian teammates and they’ve told us of how they have come to accept a fear, even here in Canada, that people of European descent just don’t experience.
This has to stop.
If you have some ideas, please share them in the comments below. One of the best things I've heard in the last several months is to listen and learn. We are all ears.
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How about making a protester survival kit to donate to citizens on the front lines. An example could be something that could protester them from tear gas (someone has died from it during these crackdowns). Hong Kong protesters used umbrellas to protect them from the elements and to block chemical weapons being thrown at them. Tear Gas is a banned chemical weapon that is a War Crime to use and yet police forces around the world use them for crowd control & brutalizing of the population.
Share Canadian organizations that are accepting donations for black lives. Focus your social media presence to the black experience for now. Work to include black owned suppliers when making new products. See if you can do that with existing products.
I think I’m echoing a number of other people here when I ask that you work with as many Black-owned businesses as you can.
That doesn’t only mean for actual products, but consider Black graphic designers, marketing companies, web developers, etc.
I’d like to add to the suggestions made by Liz Lynch above – if there are opportunities to source ingredients and materials for your products from Black owned businesses, and share that you do so their business names are circulated more.
Allow your team to spend time donating to and/or volunteering with local non-profits that work with Black and POC communities. Have owners+management show they support this by donating/volunteering themselves.
Continue to have open dialogue with all of your staff, HIRE black employees, share resources to better understand systemic racism and find ways, even if they seem small, to continue to break down anti-black and racist behaviors. Don’t be afraid to act because you think might be wrong, just do it.
Thank you for listening and opening a conversation with your customers.
(also, thank you for helping me cut out nearly all of my plastic wrap use!)
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Gonna add to the echo chamber — support Black business!!! Source your supplies and ingredients from black-owned businesses, hire Black creatives, add Black talent to your management teams. Thanks for listening.