Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. George Floyd. Tony McDade. Sandra Bland. Oscar Grant. Eric Garner. Trayvon Martin. Michael Brown. The thousands of names that never became a hashtag. We say these names and stand with Black people around the world in stating without qualification:
Black Lives Matter.
The last few weeks have been a stunning wake-up call to the pervasiveness of systemic racism against Black people in the United States and the violence of police brutality that is a direct result of it. But it’s not new. It is a centuries-old problem deeply rooted in the soils of our country. And every name is an urgent reminder of the missteps we’ve made as a society and as individuals. They are a reminder of all the times each of us has had a chance to speak up, but didn’t. This failure is ours.
The unwavering truth is that SILENCE IS COMPLICITY. While this statement was not mobilized as quickly as our hearts, we wanted to come together as family members, as friends, as co-workers, and as members of the communities we live and work in, in order to speak and act with committed intention. We wanted to make sure our voice carries more than platitudes, and that we are creating enduring, real-world impact within our community and the space we occupy. Because the fact of the matter is this:
We have not done enough.
It’s our responsibility to implement change within our company, within our communities, and within ourselves. Today, we are working on ways to bring greater equity into our thinking as individuals, our company structure, and our ongoing initiatives. We’re supporting the following organizations and initiatives working tirelessly on the frontlines to provide material change to impacted communities:
- Founded in 1940, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s legal branch is one of the nation’s largest organizations advocating for and litigating racial justice issues.
- Founded in 2013 after the murder of Trayvon Martin, Black Lives Matter is a global organization with 16 official chapters that has been the driving force behind the present civil rights movement.
- An organization dedicated to research-based and data-driven solutions to end police brutality.
- Founded by activist and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, Know Your Rights Camps provide education and empowerment opportunities for underserved youth communities.
- A nationwide network that focuses on community organizing as a means to dismantle white supremacy and work towards racial justice, specifically through education and outreach among white people.
- An organization focused on building Black political power and changing the political power system on a local, statewide and federal level.
-The Saucey team and our founders—Chris, Dan, and Andrew—in support of our Black team members, family, friends, and the entire #BlackLivesMatter movement at large.
In addition to joining us in our support for the organizations above, here are some more ways to get involved:
- Support Fair Fight, which advocates for free and fair elections.
- Contribute to the Community Justice Exchange, which helps allocate funds to local bail initiatives.
- Sign up to support Color of Change, a campaign initiative that focuses on racial justice and holding politicians and business leaders accountable for change in their communities.
- Read and activate toolkits put together by the Black Lives Matter movement; here’s one for Black and Non-Black POC organizers, and here’s one for white people.
