Communities Using Collective Power to Create Change
Make no mistake: 155 years after the abolition and 56 after the signing of the Civil Rights Act, racism is still alive in the United States. George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and hundreds of others are not.
As a CEO of an organization deeply committed to giving everyone full and equal access to power, regardless of their identity, I am maddened. As a mother of three young kids, I am afraid of the world my children are growing up in. And as a White woman, I take responsibility for years of systemic, structural racism and injustice that the African American community, and People of Color at large, have been experiencing every single day.
In order to truly advance women in the workplace, we must recognize the intersectional nature of the discrimination, injustice, and inequity women of color continue to face day in and day out. To the Black members of our community: You should not be experiencing this. We hear you, we see you, and we are here for you.
As a community, what we do at Ellevate Network is stand up for each other: to support one another and to use our collective power to enact change. And I call on every single one of you to do exactly that. Please take a moment today to take action; I vehemently encourage you to use the resource guides created by Rachel Cargle and Sophia Flicker and Alyssa Klein as a starting point. Over the coming days, we’ll share more about how we’re creating space for these discussions in our community and resources on how you can actively stand up and be an ally and advocate.
Racism and injustice are deeply rooted in the fabric of our nation, and we cannot look the other way. In the words of Angela Davis: “I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.”
How you can advocate today:
- Donate. Donate. Donate. Consider giving to Black Lives Matter, Black Visions Collective, Minnesota Freedom Fund, or another organization local to you that supports Black and people of color.
- Watch Rachel Cargle’s Public Address on Revolution.
- Read Who Gets to Be Afraid in America? by Ibram X. Kendi, Director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University.
- Take steps toward raising actively antiracist children and follow The Conscious Kid on Instagram.
- Support Black-owned small businesses with your dollars. Find them on WeBuyBlack, The Black Wallet, or Official Black Wall Street.
Kristy Wallace is CEO of Ellevate Network, a Certified B Corporation. This message was initially published on June 1, 2020, via email to the Ellevate Network community.
B the Change gathers and shares the voices from within the movement of people using business as a force for good and the community of Certified B Corporations. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the nonprofit B Lab.
Dismantling Racism Takes Action: Here’s What You Can Do Today was originally published in B The Change on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
