Our action plan to support the Black Lives Matter movement
Today and always, we remember George Floyd, Amaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and all the others we've lost to racism and police brutality. It's time for all of us to do more.
We want to back our words and our work with financial support for organizations on the front lines that need it.
It's Eco Collective's birthday today, and we're putting our plans on hold to focus on sharing resources and taking action towards justice and equality for black and indigenous people of color.
For the next week, we are donating 15% of our proceeds to the NAACP.
The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)is to secure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.
They address issues in federal advocacy, education, environmental and climate justice, health, economic opportunity, media diversity and criminal justice.
Other work we are doing as part of our action plan:
- Diversifying the brands we buy from and carry at our store. We're prioritizing integrating more diverse brands into our collection of products. If you have any recommendations for sustainable lifestyle products made by BIPOC-owned brands, especially if they are local to Seattle, please let us know.
- Listening to and amplifying the voices of black leaders in the environmental movement. We have a lot to learn on our own time. We will focus on educating ourselves, and using our platform to lift up the voices of black Americans in the environmental space, and compensate them for their work.
- Continuously working towards making our marketing and imagery more diverse.
- Supporting organizations like Got Green and other local climate justice efforts.
Other ways we can show our support for BIPOC
Our work does not end here. America was built on the backs of Black slaves, and the deeply rooted structural racism in our country cannot be dismantled overnight. The continued attention to racial issues from us and you, our community, is necessary.
Support local businesses owned by black and indigenous people of color.
- Search for black-owned businesses in your area using Intentionalist, a Seattle-based business search engine which helps you discover minority owned and operated businesses.
Here are some other organizations that need our support:
- Black Lives Matter
- Black Visions Collective
- Campaign Zero
- Reclaim The Block
- Northwest Community Bail Fund
- Got Green Seattle
Resources to educate ourselves on the issues at hand:
- Here's a document full of anti-racism resources for white people. It includes books and articles to read, podcasts to listen and subscribe to, videos, films, and TV series to watch, as well as organizations to follow on social media. These suggestions offer great first steps to diversifying the voices from which you are receiving information. They will also help to educate ourselves on our internal prejudices, the lived experiences of others, and how to become actively anti-racist (which is different from "not racist.")
- A helpful graphic of nonfiction anti-racism book suggestions:
Illustrated by Jane Mount
- Here's a list of black-owned bookstores in the United States that you can purchase your reading materials from.
Sign relevant petitions at change.org
There is strength in numbers; showing up makes a difference. Let your voice be heard by signing relevant petitions such as those supporting justice for the murder of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, as well as other racial justice petitions.
