Here’s the question I keep receiving this week: I’m learning, I’m listening, I want to do better – how do we keep this going??
And so today I’m going to help you figure that out.
1 → Follow Black leaders already doing anti-racist work
We’re all on Instagram 500 times a day. Seeing their work, resources, updates will help keep Black Lives Matter and anti-racist issues top of mind and allow you to pass the mic any time your audience looks to you for anti-racism resources.
Accounts to follow:
@rachel.cargle + @thegreatunlearn
@moemotivate (Monique Melton)
TOWN HALL TOMORROW (6/10) → Rachel Rodgers (@rachrodgersesq) is hosting “Reimagining Small Business” Wednesday, June 10th at 6pm – 8pm EST | Register here>>
TOWN HALL SATURDAY (6/13) → Marisa Hamamoto (@marisahamamoto) is hosting “Uplift: Authentic Stories from Black Creatives with Disabilities” Saturday June 13 at 1pm – 2:30pm EST | Register here >>
ONGOING: Lattice Hudson created a workshop: Affirmative Action Workshop For White & Non Black Coaches: What’s Next – How To Increase Diversity In Your Workplace & Keep It: More info >>
ONGOING: Simone McNish (@simone.mcnish) created a workshop: Inclusion, Diversity and Privilege Workshop for Entrepreneurs + Coaches. Keep an eye on her IG for more info >>
2 → Audit your own business
MONEY SPEAKS. Who are you paying for apps, platforms, software? Who are you buying courses and coaching from? Who have you hired? Who are you recommending to your audience? Who are you including as examples in your content?
Companies I am happy to continue supporting:
- Teachable
- ConvertKit
- FuseBox
- TailWind
- Leadpages
These companies have made posts and/or statements about anti-racism and the diversity in their companies and responded to the comments from their audience.
Companies I will no longer be supporting:
- Sumo + AppSumo (If an opt-in box isn’t working on my site, this is why. Switching them all to ConvertKit asap)
This is not a final list, but I want to be transparent because I have promoted, recommended, earned affiliate income (some) from these companies.
Ways you can audit the companies you’re paying:
- Did they make a post / statement / send an email about BLM and the recent events?
- If you did ask them to show up in support of BLM, what was their response? (lots of deleted comments happening lately)
- See who they feature on their IG and website – are black people missing?
- Who is in their company leadership and board – some have this info on their about page, but don’t be afraid to send an IG message / email and ask.
3 → How do we do business stuff along with anti-racism?
You don’t have to become an anti-racist expert (that work is already being done) to keep the info + action going. Continue to share posts and resources and then think about how you can create content that helps your audience understand how to be anti-racist within the context of your expertise.
If you’re an interior designer: What black-owned companies can you recommend for decor, renovations, design supplies? What organizations take donations that support black communities? How are you inclusive of multi-generational homes or single parent households?
If you’re a yoga teacher: How do you connect with black yogis online and in person? How are black people included/not included in the yoga community as a whole? Use diverse references: yoga for those that sit at a desk all day vs yoga for those on their feet all day.
In the business community: Who are we featuring, sharing, paying? Are the events we’re speaking at / attending diverse + inclusive? Are we making payment plans available or products at different payment levels? Are we including a range of business examples when we do lists like this?
Part of what has helped me has simply been listening. When I make it clear that I’m open to listening and learning my audience shows up with questions. (thank you!) Last week’s main question was – I’m afraid of messing up but I want to say something. So we talked about that. This week’s main question is – How do we keep this going? So we’re talking about that.
Serving has always been the best way for businesses to grow and that is something that isn’t going to change.
And because I’ve heard a few concerns about large biz coaches being held accountable for missing the mark with their posts and not wanting to end up in that position. A few things that will probably keep you from that path:
- Doing the work to educate yourself on being anti-racist, diversity, and inclusion so that it’s infused into your company.
- Building a diverse business through hiring, who your programs attract, who you feature.
- Having a company culture that allows for feedback so it’s a discussion within your company prior to making a tone-deaf post in the first place.
- Having company values and policies that support diversity and a plan for how you respond to a public outcry like this (Step 1: don’t delete posts and comments).
- Taking a diversity + inclusion workshop geared toward small business, coaching, leadership, or your industry.
Rachel Cargle has some posts breaking down where posts + comments miss the mark: https://www.instagram.com/p/CBF8bFLnRwt/
4 → If it feels like the problem is too big to fix
I totally understand. The more I read, the more I watch (13th + Time: The Kalief Browder Story on Netflix), the more I feel anxious about how it will all get better.
First, contact your local elected officials (find them here – click to their website, click contact) and demand that they take action. It doesn’t have to be perfect. You can say something like “I’m a voter in your district and I demand you take action on X.” and then say why it’s important to you. Change happens locally a million times faster than federally.
Second, pick an issue. You don’t personally have to dismantle the prison industrial complex. Fixing the police system is important right now but you can additionally support black lives in housing, jobs, healthcare, education, pay equity. Black people have been doing the work long before most of us white people realized there was even a problem, which means there is probably a local organization that would really appreciate your time and/or money.
My personal commitment is to 1. Set up monthly donations to orgs that support BLM issues (done) 2. Volunteer my time + nerd skills to local orgs that support black people, and 3. Eating through a list of black owned restaurants here in San Diego because food is my love language <3
Rachel Cargle has templates on her Patreon for holding to your employer, academic institution, local school district accountable for racial justice: https://www.patreon.com/thegreatunlearn
If you have a comment or question about what I’m sharing I’m am ALWAYS open to hearing from you, discussing, and learning – send me an email or DM on Instagram <3
The post How do we keep the anti-racist work going along with our businesses? appeared first on XO Sarah.
