An Open Letter From a Black Female Founder

The time to stand up for things that advance the African American community is now. As a Black woman, founder, mother, daughter, and friend, it hurts to see the injustices brought on our communities consistently. The unjust murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Amaud Arberry, Eric Garner, Kalief Browder, Trayvon Martin, and too many others continue to happen at the hands of people who are supposed to protect the communities that we live in.

In addition to the countless murders that have plagued our community, the fight to gain an equal and equitable footing in the workforce is still an uphill battle. It’s great to see the many messages from corporations around the world announcing their support for the Black Lives Matter movement. But what we need is action, accountability, policy changes, and equal representation at the companies we support financially. I’m calling out these companies to show us the core initiatives they will use for change in addition to their support. I’m calling on our allies to continue to be a voice through this and help us push these initiatives forward. I’m calling on US to work together to support the causes created, developed, and supported by people in our community. Let’s lead the change, share the change, televise the change, and advertise change! The time is now to stand up for the things that advance our community.

4 Ways To Contribute to Change Now:

1. • Buy Black –
     Support black-owned businesses by becoming a consumer of their products and share them with your network if you enjoy it! Your dollars behind your actions create more economic freedom for the African-American community.

1. • Be VOCAL –
     Check your family and/or friends who may not understand the systematic racism that exists today.  Sitting in complacency with people who are not contributing to equality does not help the problem!

1. • Ask Your Employers For A Detailed Action Plan For Corporate Diversity –
     We get it, your company supports diversity because they posted “Black Lives Matter” online or they’ve donated to a black cause. That’s a great start but true change happens when we see core values shift. Ask your employer for their action plan to combat racial inequality or what their diversity and inclusion plans are for the workplace. Placing internal and external accountability on shareholders is a great way to start leveling the playing field for African American professionals.

• Invest Black –
  Black founders need your support as well. The old saying goes, “It takes money to make money” and the truth is a lot of black startups aren’t able to scale because they don’t have the capital or resources in place to support their growth. We need more VC’s to invest in black-owned businesses, we need more grants, and loan opportunities to create more pathways to success in the entrepreneurial community. Consider donating or creating grants for BOB’s outside of just the non-profit space. There are a ton of for-profit businesses waiting on opportunities to scale.

– Shaniqua Davis,
Founder and CEO, Noirefy