The questions I know many of us are wrestling with are HOW do we support Black people and the Black Lives Matter movement? How do we tear down white supremacy, and rebuild a just and racially equitable society? How do we do that in our families, our businesses, and in our towns? These can be daunting questions, with uncomfortable answers.
But these questions need to be asked, as a business we need to not only ask but commit to rebuilding our company to reflect the world we want to see. Here are some of the questions we're asking at Brewpoint:
-Why do we not have more black/POC applying and being hired at our company?
-When we do hire black/POC do they feel a sense of belonging with the culture and structures we have created?
-What ways are we taking from marginalized communities and not re-investing?
Listening, learning, and finding the right partnerships take time. So as we journey towards rebuilding, here are our FIRST steps in our commitment to be an anti-racist company:
First, we commit to increasing the diversity of our team and investing in equitable training and development to ensure equal access, opportunity and support within Brewpoint. We plan to begin this commitment by assessing our team composition, our hiring practices and our training systems.
Second, we commit to being a community space that is safe, secure and inclusive to Black, POC, LGBTQIA+ and other systematically oppressed people, both customers and team members. We plan to begin this commitment by implementing annual training for all current and future Brewpoint team members (Melissa and Angelo included) in anti-racism, identifying bias and safe intervention techniques.
Third, we commit to giving materially to a Black led, Illinois based organization that is supporting the work of equity and restorative justice. We plan to begin this commitment by finding a partner that we can support and amplify in accordance with their needs and desires.
There is a lot more work left to do, and as we do more in the Brewpoint world, we will keep you informed. Thank you Black Lives Matter movement and all the people who have been putting in the work for changing the world around us.
-Melissa & Angelo
