Black Lives Matter
Posted by:
We stand against systemic racism and police brutality. Black lives matter.
As a business and as individuals, we are taking the time to have difficult conversations and educate ourselves in order to work towards implementing long term, concrete change within our own business and communities. Change doesn't happen overnight, this fight requires a long-term investment and will take a lot of work, we are committing ourselves to that work. Our initial actions on this long road include a donation pledge of $12,000.00, to be dispersed over the next eight weeks to organizations who support and fight for Black lives. Each of our employees will have the opportunity to select the organization that they wish to donate to. We are also extending additional paid time-off to our employees who are taking time to support the movement by volunteering, contacting their representatives, and using their first amendment right to protest.
We’ve included a list of organizations that we are donating to individually along with resources below. We encourage you to donate and use your voice. This is far from an exhaustive list, if you’d like to add to the list feel free to leave suggestions in the comments section.
George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, David McAtee and countless others should still be alive today. Black lives matter.
SIGN PETITIONS
Demand justice by signing all of the petitions below.
DONATE
Memorial Funds and Foundations
See what the family members and community are doing to honor George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade and David McAtee.
National Organizations
BLM is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. By combating and countering acts of violence, creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy, we are winning immediate improvements in our lives.
The Southern Poverty Law Center is dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society. Using litigation, education, and other forms of advocacy, the SPLC works toward the day when the ideals of equal justice and equal opportunity will be a reality.
The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.
The nation’s largest online racial justice organization, Color of Change helps people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us.
The Anti-Racism Project seeks to educate participants about how institutionalized racism, internalized racism and white privilege feed oppression.
Local and Community Led Organizations
Find local organizations in your area that are fighting to build strong communities, defund police departments, and for decarceration. We’ve listed organizations here based in Minnesota, where George Floyd was murdered, along with a few NYC organizations in our hometown.
Founded in 2017, the Black Visions Collective has been putting into practice the lessons learned from organizations before them, in order to shape a political home for Black people across Minnesota.
In New York, Make the Road builds the power of immigrant and working class communities to achieve dignity and justice.
Another NYC based organization fights for displaced people in an ever gentrifying Brooklyn. E4F is anti-police repression and anti-gentrification.
Bail Funds
“There is nothing “normal” about cash bail - the United States and the Philippines are the only two countries in the world where someone has to put up cash to avoid being imprisoned before their trial. We stand against cash bail as unjust and identify wealth-based discrimination as a vehicle for the criminal justice system to target populations for structural violence. People of color and immigrants face higher rates of arrest, harsher sentencing, and disparities in the setting of bail compared to white citizens.” - The Minnesota Freedom Fund.
At the moment, bail funds are overflowing with donations, many organizations are asking donors to redirect funds. Below are a few organizations that provide free bail assistance and have resources to learn more about the disparities in the cash bail system.
Provides free bail assistance for people who can't afford it, reuniting families and restoring the presumption of innocence.
National Bail Out is a Black-led and Black-centered collective of abolitionist organizers, lawyers and activists building a community-based movement to support our folks and end systems of pretrial detention and ultimately mass incarceration.
Split a donation between 70+ community bail funds, mutual aid funds, and racial justice organizations.
COVID-19 Relief
COVID-19 is disproportionately impacting Black and Indigenous Americans. Donate to mutual aid funds and organizations that are taking action and providing relief for BIPOC communities.
RESOURCES
WEBSITES + SOCIAL
ARTICLES
The Case for Reparations by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Why You Need to Stop Saying "All Lives Matter" by Rachel Elizabeth Cargle
Is Prison Necessary? by Rachel Kushner
BOOKS
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Davis
How to Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
PODCASTS
1619 from the New York Times
Pod Save the People from Crooked Media
Code Switch from NPR
Justice in America from The Appeal
Floodlines from The Atlantic
The Nod from Gimlet Media
Ear Hustle from Radiotopia
FILM
When They See Us available on Netflix
Fruitvale Station available for purchase on iTunes
13th available on Netflix
16 Shots available on Hulu
The Black Power Mixtape available for purchase on iTunes
College Behind Bars from PBS and available on Netflix
SHOP
VOTE
Many states have primaries this month and it’s essential we register to vote and turn out for the general election in November. Voter suppression is still alive and well in the US, with COVID-19 presenting new challenges. The organizations below fight for the right to vote.
Founded by Stacey Abrams, Fair Fight brings awareness to the public on election reform, advocates for election reform at all levels, and engages in other voter education programs and communications.
When We All Vote is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization that is on a mission to increase participation in every election and close the race and age voting gap by changing the culture around voting, harnessing grassroots energy, and through strategic partnerships to reach every American.
The Brennan Center works to make voting free, fair, and easy.The Brennan Center’s reforms are modernizing American elections, starting with automatic voter registration and measures to ensure election security. And they fight restrictive voting policies that make it harder to vote.
Check your voter registration status, register to vote, adopt a state and more at