I am sad. I am angry. I am privileged. I understand that I will never understand the journey of a POC. I also understand that, "There is no outdoors for all when racism exists."
Environmental and social justice are inextricably linked and we all must address the intersection of people and planet and the core inequalities in our society. We are committed to saving the planet and a world where everyone has access to clean air, water, land, and a healthy community.
We stand with African Americans and people of color. We stand with those who call out the names of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and many more lives taken.
Now until June 7th, we will be be donating 15% from each purchase to Black Lives Matter because there is no environmental sustainability without social justice. We will also be muting our social media channels and paid advertisements. Does this hurt a small business during COVID times? Hell yes. But does this compare to hundreds of years of suppression? HELL NO. We encourage small business owners to consider the same.
How YOU can take ACTION:
1. Contact Minneapolis District Attorney, Mike Freeman, to demand justice for George Floyd: 612-348-5550, citizeninfo@hennepin.us, hennepinattorney.org/about/contact
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2. Donate to Minnesota Freedom Fund: Community based nonprofit that pays criminal bail & immigration bonds for individuals who have been arrested while protesting police brutality.
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3. GoFundMe for his memorial www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd. It’s already far surpassed the amount asked, but continue to donate. His family should be able to take all the time off they need. Nothing will be enough to make up for their loss.
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4. Donate to Campaign Zero: Online platform & organization that utilizes research-based policy solutions to end police brutality in America.
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5. Please share this information.
10 Books to read on Discrimination & Racism:
1.) "White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism" - Robin J. DiAngelo
2.) "How to Be an Antiracist" - Ibram X. Kendi
3.) "Me and White Supremacy" - Layla F. Saad
4.) "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in The Cafeteria?" - Beverly Daniel Tatum
5.) "Between The World and Me" - Ta-Nehisi Coates
6.) "Stamped From the Beginning" - Ibram X. Kendi
7.) "So You Want To Talk About Race" - Ijeoma Oluo
8.) "I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness" - Austin Channing Brown
9.) "White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide" - Carol Anderson
10.) "The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America" - Richard Rothstein