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The conviction of George Floyd’s murderer has offered a sprinkle of hope for us. Though we must still hold our breaths until sentencing, it’s certainly a step in the right direction.
For the longest while, it seemed as if anyone could kill us and they would go unpunished. Yet in the last year, we took a couple of wins along the way, such as the election of Vice President Kamala Harris, the celebration of Politician Stacy Abrams and, finally, the conviction of Derek Chauvin. Hope appears to be on the horizon, so what are businesses doing to amplify this hope?
“All of my hard work, efforts and artwork are dedicated to the Black culture” stated nationally renowned artist Whitney Austin. Recently, Whitney released her Black Lives Matter Coloring Book, filled with her hard work and dedicated paintings that cater to the entire movement and Black culture. The front cover alone brings a sense of emotion as George Floyd graces the cover upon the one-year anniversary of his death approaching.
After the murder of George Floyd last year, many businesses came out supporting the Black culture, but how many have stuck to that notion since then? Though it’s unfortunate, and not the entirety, it’s not uncommon for businesses to capitalize on the misfortune of others. As a community, we must be vigilant in holding these businesses’ feet to the fire when it comes to backing up their claims of community support. We must ensure that their actions are matching their words before we continue to pad their wallets.
“I have never taken my focus off uplifting the Black community. This is why I tour all over the United States sharing my work that represents African American culture and history. I want to spread our message and I want equality for our community to remain on the foreminds of this nation”, said Austin.
As a business owner, you have a greater opportunity of reaching a larger audience than most. What you do with that opportunity is up to you. As a small business owner, funds can be tight at times. However, support to the Black community can come in forms other than a buck.
Companies such as Pepsi made promises to increase African American employees. Institutions such as Visa vowed to hold more open forums to increase racial dialogue. And some companies, such as Nike, took actionable stands by verbally calling out racism and urging others to do the same.
The death of George Floyd sent shockwaves across the world, yet the anniversary of his death is a great opportunity to check in with all of those promises made last year. You may have made a vow last year or you could be new to the movement, but it’s never too late to put a plan in place. Whether you’re a large organization, small business owner or solopreneur, I encourage you to make a conscious effort to give back and heal the Black community.
