Trayvon Martin by Rudy Shepherd
We’re donating 10% of our profits from June sales to Equal Justice Initiative, in support of their fight against racial and economic injustice in America.
Late on Friday, we agreed as a team to take the weekend to reflect on everything that’s happening now. We feel compelled to use our platform to call attention to the systemic racism at the root of recent events across the country, and also want to offer tangible support to organizations working to foment change. The 20x200 team stands in solidarity with Black communities nationwide who have suffered for generations as a result of that systemic racism. The lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery matter. Black lives matter.
I'm white, and I’m committed to continually educating myself about how to be a better ally, and to doing the work to dismantle racism in any way I can. Too many white people feel like it’s enough to express sadness or outrage at racial injustice and leave it at that. I’ve certainly been guilty of that in the past. Also of succumbing to helplessness and/or doing nothing because it feels as if there isn’t anything I could do that would be enough. Of saying nothing for fear of saying the wrong thing. But it’s on me and other white people to fix this: to be willing to be wrong, to be uncomfortable, to listen and be accountable, to lift the voices of others and to speak up about injustice. To have those awkward conversations and not let people off the hook. If you’re scoffing as you read this, you can unsubscribe and collect art elsewhere.
My request of other white people reading this: if you have a platform, use it. Share that platform to lift up the voices of others. Say hard truths out loud. If you have time, volunteer. If you’ve got money, donate it generously and often. Or whenever you can, however much you can. Go beyond what you've done before. In the words of Angela Davis, “it’s not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist”. I’ve found this doc to be a useful resource as of late. Maybe you will, too.
Giving financial support to anti-racist organizations is important too. To that end, we’ve committed to donating 10% of our profits from 20x200’s June sales to Equal Justice Initiative, in support of their fight against racial and economic injustice in America. And to encourage direct donations, I’ll personally match $500 in total donations made. Just send me your receipt and I'll match it.
— Jen Bekman, Founder + CEO
