We’ve made a promise to fight against systemic racism, and to use our voice to share the stories and work of the BIPOC community. Today, and every day we are committed to our promise.
Over the past week we have been listening while working to educate ourselves on how to better support the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities, and specifically entrepreneurs. As part of our pledge to do better, we’ve put together a list of educational resources, accounts to follow, and organizations to support. This list is just the beginning of our work to support the BIPOC community in the fight against racism, educate ourselves, and create an inclusive, diverse company culture. Going forward, we will continue to amplify the voices of BIPOC entrepreneurs and thought leaders wherever possible. For now, here’s what we’re reading, watching and following:
Resources for Our Global Audience
Download apps that offer directories of Black-owned businesses such as the Official Black Wall Street App, EatOkra, Black Nation, and Support Black-Owned.
Watch the documentary 13th by Ava DuVernay, Netflix has made 13th free to stream, even if you aren’t a subscriber. 13th explores the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution which to this day enables the prison-industrial complex that disproportionately impacts the Black community.
Follow The Great Unlearn which is an anti-racism syllabus created by Rachel Cargle that includes templates you can use to hold institutions and employers accountable for racial justice.
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Our May syllabus has dropped and I’m so excited to join you this month in unlearning America’s Birth Story. • I’m committed to celebrating and highlighting the genius of academics of color and this month the dynamic Valerie Wade of @lynnfieldhistorical will be our guest expert. Her approach to teaching us this month is incredible thoughtful and I am looking forward to you all joining us live later in the month for her office hours session. Be sure to register at the link on the last page the syllabus. • This month in Study Hall we will gather virtually for a classroom discussion on a NYT 1619 Project article that speaks perfectly to our subject this month. I’m looking forward to leading that. • If you are not already a part of The Great Unlearn you can head to the link in my bio to learn more about this donation based self learning community facilitated by @rachel.cargle over on @patreon to support you through your own self (un)learning. Knowledge + Empathy + Action is the framework we follow. We hope you’ll join us.
Educate yourself on how to be an ally and avoid performative allyship by reading Mireille Harper’s Twitter thread on ‘10 Steps to Non-Optical Allyship.’
For people who actively want to be support and be an ally right now, I have written a thread. pic.twitter.com/kTvDgXXO5L
— Mireille Cassandra Harper (@mireillecharper) May 29, 2020
Resources for Canadians
The website afrobiz.ca has a directory of Canadian Black-owned businesses that you can support; it is searchable by city.
Support organizations that support Black businesses and Black entrepreneurs in Canada. The Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce offers mentorship, funding, marketing assistance, and networking opportunities. The Black Business and Professional Association provides student scholarships, classes on business and marketing, and community partnerships.
Books to Read or Listen to on Audible
How to Be an Antiracist
by Ibram X. Kendi
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Thank you @brenebrown. ??
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
by Michelle Alexander
https://newjimcrow.com/about-the-author”Our democracy hangs in the balance. This is not an overstatement. If we do not learn the lessons of history and choose a radically different path forward, we may lose our last chance at creating a truly inclusive, egalitarian democracy.”https://t.co/yZL1MbWcbT
— The New Jim Crow (@thenewjimcrow) June 8, 2020
Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor
by Layla F. Saad
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“None of us are born fully conscious of systems of oppression or our own privileges and unconscious biases.” – Excerpt from #MeAndWhiteSupremacy ••• One of the reasons why anti-racism is life-long work is because white supremacy is life-long conditioning. It happens before we’re even fully consciously aware of it, and it is reinforced directly and indirectly throughout our lifetimes. It’s okay that you didn’t know. What’s not okay is coming into awareness or being made aware, and then choosing to keep your eyes closed anyway. That moves you from being unconsciously ignorant, to intentionally ignorant, and purposefully choosing to uphold white supremacy. White supremacy is designed to keep people with white privilege unaware of their privilege. But once you’ve had the experience of coming into awareness (and honestly, even just watching the news will give you awareness), it’s time to do the work. ••• Get your copy of Me and White Supremacy at www.meandwhitesupremacybook.com, or click the link in my bio.
So You Want to Talk About Race
by Ijeoma Oluo
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I wrote this book first and foremost for Black people. Hearing from other Black people – especially Black women – about how they have connected to this book fills my heart. Repost from @teachingwithmxt • So this is on my “currently” list and so far it has hit me in the feels soo good. I feel very seen and @ijeomaoluo does such a great job of giving words to what Black people have been experiencing since forever. —— I’m hoping to finish it by the end of the week. Yay for spring break lol Has anyone else read this book?! Let me know in the comments. ▪️▪️▪️▪️ #rysereads #quarantinereads #quarantinereading #teachersofinstagram #ireadtoo #soyouwanttotalkaboutrace #doingthework #decolonizeyourmind #unapologeticallyblack #iteachtoo #teacherreads.
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race
by Beverly Daniel Tatum
If you’re not sure which edition you’re reading, the updated 2017 edition is the one with the black cover. https://t.co/rRXkqeqACj pic.twitter.com/Jv04TWtVBc
— Beverly Daniel Tatum (@BDTSpelman) June 11, 2020
The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know to Secure a Seat at the Table
by Minda Harts
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I don’t even know where to start. God knows its been a journey. I thank God for entrusting me to lean into my courage and speak out on the experiences that only women of color face at work. We often don’t get to read about our experiences and today I hope YOU feel SEEN. This one is definitely #fortheculture ?✊?#bookbirthday #thememo Make sure you purchase The Memo today. Thank you
Mindful of Race: Transforming Racism from the Inside Out
by Ruth King
In this time, we've been really touched by this quote from Ruth King (mindfulness teacher and author of Mindful of Race). pic.twitter.com/Zs5HHYjcdU
— The Mindfulness Project (@LondonMindful) June 4, 2020
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-Winning Stamped from the Beginning
by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
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I asked @JasonReynolds83 multiple times to transform #StampedfromtheBeginning for young readers. He kindly demurred again and again. He wasn’t sure he could do it. I wasn’t sure it could be done. But I knew if it was possible, Jason could do it. The first time I read a draft of the remix, it nearly brought me to tears—between my huge laughs and smiles and insights and reflections. Jason did more than I ever imagined for young readers, for all readers. It’s so conversational. It’s so funny. It’s so serious. It meets young readers where they are. I’ve never been more excited for a book dropping than today. There may be nothing more precious than the minds of our young people. And this book protects them from racism with antiracism. This book protects us. STAMPED: Racism, Antiracism and You drops today. Pick it up wherever books are sold. Get it for yourself. Get it for the young people in your life. Be ready for the conversations and transformations. It’s here. #StampedBook. Link in bio.
The Skin We’re In: A Year of Black Resistance and Power
by Desmond Cole
Tour!
Torontohttps://t.co/I5x7dO86Cr
Bramptonhttps://t.co/Xz4EiRV6XN
Ottawahttps://t.co/y3bmhLBOX2
Montrealhttps://t.co/696eEhi8V6
Halifaxhttps://t.co/aWpI6FsFVB
Winnipeghttps://t.co/btuqYvpqf4
Vancouverhttps://t.co/KdhVWBfnxd
Calgaryhttps://t.co/vf97tMAvwm pic.twitter.com/qqyKkH8Dkj
— negro frolics (@DesmondCole) January 20, 2020
Who to Follow
@blavityinc, run by CEO @morgandebaun is the powerhouse media company behind @blavity news which runs another four brands that serve Black millennials: @afro.tech, @21ninety, @shadow_act, @travelnoire.
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Happy Black History Month, Blavity fam ✊? This year holds special significance because 2019 marks 400 years since enslaved Africans arrived to Jamestown. In commemoration, join us as we at @blavityinc reflect on how we feel #BlackHistoryMadeUs as we continue to honor our illustrious legacy. YOUR TURN: Tell us, how has Black history made you feel? Comment ?? and tag a friend! #BlackHistoryMadeUs #BHM #BlackHistoryMonth
@blackuxcollective is an Instagram account that highlights the work of Black UX designers.
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Happy Black History Month! I wrote about 10 Inspiring Designers in the industry. Click the link in the bio to read more! ?? #blackuxcollective
@iamnileharris, a life strategist, consultant, and speaker.
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I am a graduate of the Broad Residency in Urban Education. Several times a year, my cohort met for a week to discuss what we learned and our course work. For one of our assignments, we were asked to describe race in one to two sentences. And this was mine… “Race is like darkness, perceived, yet does not exist.” I’m by no means an expert on race or science, but I’m black and did well in science so I’ll explain in an oversimplified way because I only have so many characters. If you understand the origin of race, you know it was a construct to justify the business model of slavery. Racism didn’t create slavery, slavery created racism. Darkness isn’t really a thing, it’s the absence of light particles. Stay with me physicists, I know I’m crushing your soul. But yet we can see the color of a person’s skin, but on its own it has no meaning – DNA-wise we are 99.9% the same. We see a room is dark, yet it isn’t something we can touch. But it’s there, right? No. In both cases it’s only what you make of it. If you see monsters in either, it’s because you put them there. #nilespeaks #equitymatters #diversityequityinclusion #inclusiveleadership #inclusiveculture #diversitymatters #culturaldiversity #diversityandinclusion #belonging
@keyshamilana, a master productivity coach.
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???•????•????? ????? ???? /prod(ə)ktɪv(ə)ti kwin/ A woman who has mastered her time and maximized her productivity in a way that allows her to live on her own terms? Make no mistake, #ProductivityQueen isn’t made over night, it can take weeks, months and I’m some cases ?????. But how does one become a #ProductivityQueen? For the answer to this question, click the link in my bio to download my eBook “Procrastinating on Purpose.” In my eBook I’ll show you how to drastically increase your productivity and each eBook comes with a FREE planner. Click the link in my bio and become a #ProductivityQueen today! #ProductivityCoach #Author #Stats #Productivitytools #BlackTherapists #BlackLifeCoaches #FemaleEntrepreneur #Timemanagementtools #ProcrastinatingOnPurpose #ProductivityQueen #90DayTransformation #LifeCoachesOfInstagram #TimeManagement #IncreaseProductivity #TimeIsMoney #KeyshaMilana #HealthCoachInstitute #HCI #TimeManagementTips #TipsandTricks
And thank you to Later for highlighting:
@erinondemand, run by Erin Winters, who is a brand strategist, video producer, and Youtuber.
@solstudiomarketing, run by Natasha Samuel, who is a social media storyteller, strategist, educator, and podcaster.
@xaylibarclay a video content creator and video coach.
Where to Donate
- Black Legal Action Centre
- Black Lives Matter
- Black Lives Matter Canada
- NAACP
- ACLU
- Nationwide Bail Fund
- Southern Poverty Law Center
- Movement for Black Lives
- Equal Justice Initiative
Thank You to our App Partners
We’d also like to applaud all of our amazing app partners for sharing their resources with us, too. Here are a few we’ve been learning from:
Grammarly is partnering with Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives to support the Remedies Blog Contest which encourages young writers in the United States to share their voices on racial prejudice. Also, Grammarly put together a thread on Twitter Black writers and educators who everyone should read as part of the process of anti-racism education.
We’re taking the time to read, learn from, and listen to Black voices so we can become better equipped to support #BlackLivesMatter in the movement to end systemic racism.
Here are 5 Black writers and educators we’re currently learning from.
(See thread. ?) pic.twitter.com/SjagxxDavF— Grammarly (@Grammarly) June 4, 2020
Airtable has compiled a list of racial equity resources to continue necessary anti-racism education.
Buffer has put together lists of anti-racist books, and of anti-racist courses, workshops, and groups.
Later has highlighted the anti-racism educational resources created by Rachel Ricketts.
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* NEW PODCAST ALERT* ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Catch me jamming out with my friend + former client @kaithurley on her new podcast I AM ALL THIS at the link in my bio. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We go in on white supremacy (obvi), how it shows up in health and wellness spaces, what spiritual bypassing means, why embracing emotions like anger and grief are critical and so much more. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If you’re in the mood to hear me give it to you RAW + REAL (as always), and share some of my own struggles…this episode is for you. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! xo R ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ID: 1) Image of Rachel surrounded by title “I am all this episode 5” and “Freedom Now with Rachel Ricketts”, and 2) “There are enough folks with enough power + privilege to create change. I’m talking to white womxn. The gift + beauty of being an oppressed oppressor is that you have your heart open in a way to what oppression actually is + feels like. So you’re more willing to transform that. That’s where loving anger can be utilized” by Rachel.
To Our Community
We are proud to support the BIPOC community and Black entrepreneurs. If this is you, please reach out to us here for help getting set up with a free Shift Advanced account.
This is just the beginning of our work. Going forward, we will continue to give a voice to Black entrepreneurs, and support the work of social justice organizations, anti-racism non-profits, and the wider BIPOC community. Together, we will create a better world for all.
If you have an idea about how we can do better, please feel free to reach out to us on Twitter and let us know.
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The events over the last several days are horrifying, highlighting all too well the deep injustices in our society. We stand in solidarity with the Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour communities today and every day. We are listening. And we are committed to using our voice to make positive and lasting change by amplifying BIPOC voices and continuing to build a company culture that is inclusive, and anti-racist. As a token of our appreciation and support for those impacted by systemic racism around the globe, we will be making a donation to Black Lives Matter and offering Shift Advanced free to any BIPOC entrepreneurs for the next year. We are learning and working on ways to support over the long term. Please reach out to our team for help getting set up (link in bio).
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