Category Archives: Intentional Communities

Many businesses these past months have so generously donated to the affected communities during the ongoing ramifications of COVID-19. Black as well as lower-income communities, in particular, have been disproportionately impacted during this time. Last month, Richard Lewis, the owner, and CEO of RTL Networks connected with several other Black-owned organizations to address these issues within the community.

Rich Lewis of RTL Networks is known for many things. Still, perhaps the most is his intentional efforts to connect people, communities, and resources. In May of 2020, after considerable thought on how to support the community at large, and the Black community in particular, as it relates to COVID-19, he started connecting. Rich facilitated a meeting that intersected public, private and nonprofit organizations to make a meaningful impact, said Ryan Ross Ph.D., CEO of The Urban Leadership Foundation of Colorado.

These organizations consisted of, The Urban Leadership Foundation of Colorado, The Colorado Black Chamber of Commerceand The Sims Fayola Foundation. During their planning process, RTL supplied 4,000 masks to disperse to the rest of the community. RTL donated 1,000 PPE masks to the Colorado Black Chamber. In addition to that, The Black Chamber connected with the community partner of The Center for African American Health (CAA Health), to distribute the 1,000 PPE masks to community groups. With all of these donations, there has been a significant amount of impact. Some donations were distributed to The Hope Center, the Denver Chapter of the NAACP and Scott United Methodist Church, and families headed by single mothers. Alongside that, The Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce donated masks to faith and health liaisons. Each liaison distributed 20 masks, in addition to infrared thermometers, and hand sanitation gel bottles.

The Urban Leadership Foundation in particular was also able to engage 1,200 people in healthy movement and exercise activities. They created the #maskon campaign, which has provided a total of 1,300 masks in the community partnering with organizations such as Struggle of Love Foundation, RISE 5280, Make a Chess Move, and several local churches.

The remaining masks will be distributed at the CCA Health Site, which is implementing free COVID-19 testing for the neighboring communities of Northeast Denver. So far, CCA has 100 masks for staff and for later program distribution. Executive Director of Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce, Lee Kathryn Gash-Maxey states that:

The Colorado Black Chamber has been committed to serving the needs of Black-owned businesses since 1985. As an organization, CBCC has provided economic opportunity and support to business owners and the communities they serve. Supporting our community is not limited to contracts and business opportunities but must include everything that ensures a healthy community.

All photos provided by Ryan Ross

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Black-Owned Organizations Join to Donate Thousands of Masks in Denver - 303 Magazine

In Lynchburg and elsewhere, there has been a renewed effort, fueled by social media and other means of communication, to support minority-owned businesses following the death of George Floyd, a black man who died May 25 in police custody and whose death sparked global protests.

Gloria Witt, owner of Define Success, which offers coaching and facilitation services in Lynchburg, said the word access comes to mind when she thinks about black-owned businesses.

We need access to capital and referrals. For our businesses to succeed and flourish, many of us need better access to capital, she said. This is not a handout but a hand up. Does our local community provide access to loans at a reasonable rate? Are we more than a credit score? Do any of our local banks offer unique programs to uplift specifically black-owned businesses?

In my experience in working in the Lynchburg area, black-owned business owners are not networked to the economic power structures. Instead, we accept the reality that many of our local companies already have established relationships and networks and that there is little openness to change.

According to Witt, in order to break this cycle, those in positions of power must intentionally do something different.

Stop doing what is considered normal and start to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, she said. Break the silence of unconscious bias. This means acknowledging that there are local black-owned suppliers and personally deciding that he/she will start to do business with them provided the company is competitive and can meet the needs of the person and/or organization.

She said whether she likes it or not, white power and white privilege is real; only by disrupting the system will black-owned businesses be granted an opportunity to compete.

My ask to the community is to be intentional and consciously commit to doing something different by intentionally supporting black-owned businesses, she said.

Tarsha Joyner, owner of Mrs. Joys Absolutely Fabulous Treats at 1008 Commerce St., said its important for people to know the challenge for a minority-owned small business is the same for any small business: It cannot survive without support from the community.

That fact doesnt change no matter what color you are, she said. I never want anyone to support my business solely because of the color of my skin. If that were the case, I wouldnt care so much. I wouldnt work so hard. I wouldnt spend so much money on ingredients. I wouldnt sacrifice so much of my life if the easy thing was to say, Hey! Im brown! Shop here!

She asks the community to support her simply because she works hard.

I make absolutely fabulous products. Come to Mrs. Joys for those reasons. Because Im the best. Anything else is like getting a trophy for participation, she said. It doesnt feel quite the same as receiving a trophy for winning.

Business listings aim to boost support

Earlier in June, the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance met with Jawansa and Michelline Hall, of Blackwater Branding; Charese Chambers, of Financial Fancy; and Geoffrey Kershner, of the Academy Center of the Arts, to talk about putting together a listing of minority-owned businesses in the region.

Businesses can complete a customized form for the list, which will be placed on the Alliances website with a search feature to help the community easily support minority-owned enterprises.

Carla Wilkes-Rose, owner of Credit Chance, LLC, has joined forces with Jawansa Hall in making another directory.

Wilkes-Rose initially started foundational work on The Hill City Greenbook three years ago but never completed it. After seeing businesses struggle because of economic conditions the last few months, she decided now was a good time to finish it.

Even back three years ago, I always wanted to support black businesses and I would go out and support them and buy stuff just to buy it, she said. With COVID-19, businesses got hit hard, so Im trying to boost them back up and help get them through the pandemic.

The website, hillcitygreenbook.com, allows businesses to set up memberships for free. Once 100 businesses are signed up, Wilkes-Rose plans to launch a mobile app.

From the list she has compiled so far, shes found about 250 black-owned businesses in Lynchburg. But even though she would go out of her way to search for these businesses in the past, she often found she had never heard about many of them.

I think its a marketing thing, and were planning to help some of these small businesses to market better, she said.

Jawansa Hall said businesses live and die by their supporters and black-owned businesses are no exception.

Lack of support from your community in the form of customers will shatter any entrepreneurial dream of being successful, he said. Support of minority businesses should be a part of our everyday lifestyles, not just an occasional celebratory event. Yet, black businesses have to actively campaign for financial and emotional support. If our current situation is the wake-up call needed for economic growth, I will accept it. My only prayer is that we do not fall back asleep.

Alliance pledges support

Christine Kennedy, chief operating officer of the Alliance and director of Leadership Lynchburg, said the Alliance is working to create a focus group/town hall to gather feedback on additional ways to support this segment of the community.

Kennedy also provided input to the Lynchburg Police Departments Community Police Advisory Group during its June 8 meeting for a possible plan of action that could lead to increased transparency, dialogue and community building.

On May 31, protesters gathered outside Fifth & Federal Station partly because of a social media post from the restaurant in which it suggested it would offer employees face masks displaying a racist image from Gov. Northams medical school yearbook. As night fell, police have said, the protests turned violent and officers were called to the scene.

Immediately after that incident, the Alliances Leadership Lynchburg program held a Zoom webinar with area equity experts and community leaders to help bring increased understanding to what the African-American community is feeling as a result of recent events.

The Leadership Lynchburg Council, which oversees all Leadership Lynchburg programming, will meet June 22 to discuss how else it can act to help further equality in the community.

Last week the Alliance announced its partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on a national initiative to address inequality of opportunity.

The Alliances work in diversity, equity and inclusion is not new, Kennedy said. Weve conducted focus groups, sponsored African-American community events, created our own [diversity, equity, and inclusion] statement for operations and held [human resources] dialogues on ways to increase inclusivity in the workplace. What has occurred over the past few weeks amplifies the need to do more. We are committed to continue our work in this arena so that we can look back and see true, lasting positive change.

The Alliance will join the U.S. Chambers national town hall event June 25, during which business and community leaders will discuss concrete actions that can be taken by government and the private sector to address inequality through education, employment, entrepreneurship and criminal justice reform.

Elise Spontarelli, executive director of Vector Space, located at 402 5th St., said she believes May and June have been full of justified unrest on the street, referring to the events at Fifth & Federal on May 31.

Spontarelli said the community is coming to terms with long-ignored inequality, and the nonprofit a makerspace and community workshop for woodworkers, tinkerers and others wants to consider its role in the midst of the unrest.

Our home in Lynchburgs historically black neighborhood is not something we overlook, and inclusion and equality has always been the goal for our member and student community, she said. However, building this culture has been a long process and we have not succeeded in many ways.

She recently attended the virtual Nation of Makers Conference, where equity and inclusion were a big topic.

I have talked to and learned from our makerspace peers in other communities that are doing it better, and am equipped with their insights and influence to work on our own internal community culture, she said.

Moving forward, the makerspace is taking steps to create a more inclusive environment, including hiring a black artist to paint an inclusive mural outside its building and re-engaging and collaborating with new community partners.

Rachael Smith covers local businesses and nonprofits. Reach her at (434) 385-5482.

Rachael Smith covers local businesses and nonprofits. Reach her at (434) 385-5482.

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New listing aims to raise awareness of black-owned businesses - Lynchburg News and Advance

By Bre West, President, The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc.

The Atlanta Speech School, founded by JLA in 1938, created the Pop-Up Early Learning program as a free online educational resource.

For the first time in more than 100 years, people worldwide are painstakingly adjusting to a new reality as we emerge from self-isolation in a semi post-quarantine era. Many of us are reeling as we try to put food on the table, maintain flexible employment or keep a roof over our heads. For families with school-age children, life can be even more daunting as some children face deep deprivations without many of the multidimensional needs often met in schools.

In addition to the educational resources and opportunity to build social skills, school is often the source of two or three meals a day, five days a week, while also offering stability, safety, and security.This is why when communities are faced with the uphill challenges of a pandemic, the need to lean in and support our local schools is greater than ever.

The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. (JLA) was founded to better the lives of at-risk women and children and has now continued to do so for more than 100+ years. Thats why JLA is increasingly committed to finding ways to serve, share value, and provide much-needed resources within the Atlanta community, even in the midst of social distancing.

JLA members doing service for a S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Math) project designed to engage the next generation of technical women leaders.

As JLA pivots to address the COVID-19 pandemic, our agency partners are also adapting to the rapidly changing community service environment. One JLA partner who has pivoted quickly to these challenging times is the Atlanta Speech School, founded in 1938 by JLA members. They have developed an online platform for learning, in collaboration with Cox Campus, that is available for free to families with internet access. The platforms curriculum is tailored to children 18 months to five years, and their Pop-Up Early Learning modules offer preschool and pre-K lessons that are both innovative and hands-on.

This educational resource can be accessed via laptops and tablets, and offers a mobile app to use on cell phones. Its even available in Spanish. Financial difficulties can create technology barriers for families without internet access nor personal computing equipment. Knowing this is an issue, nonprofit organizations are stepping in to help. One such nonprofit organization is JLA partner, PowerMyLearning Atlanta.

With school out for the foreseeable future, where do children go without summer camps? Several JLA partners are transitioning from traditional in-person camps to virtual camps or camp in a box experiences so children can remain engaged while learning from home. JLA members are proudly partnering to prepare camp in a box activities and snack kits for delivery to partner organizations like Mercy Care, ensuring children receive healthy and balanced food options while school is out.

JLA Kids in the Kitchen committee members doing service at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.

Along with providing boots on the ground, JLA also works to support our partner agencies through ongoing training of our member volunteers and virtual meetings where we strategize how we can help our partners navigate these trying times. As we grow accustomed to using virtual platforms to fulfill our mission, we are continuously learning about these tools and rolling-out enhancements such as closed captioning to ensure all participants have equal access to shared information.

During this time when so many of us are feeling alone, the word inclusion takes on a whole new meaning. It is easier than ever to feel out of the loop and disconnected from those we know and love most. With that in mind, we must stay aware that each individual is experiencing something unique, yet likely very difficult. This is why we must focus on bringing people together, creating bonds, and championing each other like never before.

It is crucial that we support the children who remain in their homes and struggle to thrive without the basics they once received at school. Now, more so than ever, lets take care of each other, lets be intentional with inclusion, and lets do so this year and for years to come.

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JLA Pivots during Covid19 Pandemic to Better Serve the... - SaportaReport

New York lawmakers have introduced legislation to hold senior living communities accountable for harm and damages incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic by repealing a blanket immunity law that shielded facilities from legal action.

The bill, introduced by state Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-Queens) and Sen. Alessandra Biaggi (D-Bronx), would repeal protections in the public health law related to the Emergency or Disaster Treatment Protection Act, which provided immunity from liability for any harm or damages sustained as a result of providing health care services during he COVID-19 pandemic, unless the act was willful or intentional criminal misconduct, gross negligence, reckless misconduct or intentional infliction of harm.

The law, which protects hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities, including assisted living communities, also shields facilities from lawsuits alleging misconduct due to resource or staffing shortages.

Repealing [the immunity protection] allows families to pursue a process in which they can be heard and seek corrective actions so their loved ones didnt die in vain, Kim said in a news release.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order in March providing immunity, and the law was enacted in April.

While it is abundantly clear that nursing homes have not received the full support that they need to weather this pandemic, that does not mean we completely strip away their responsibility for the care of our loved ones, Biaggi said in published reports.

On Friday, Kim and Biaggi hosted a Zoom press conference and memorial for the 6,000 people who died alone in New York State nursing homes.

This has been the hardest period of time in our states history. The past three months have been so challenging physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally, and its all related to COVID-19, Biaggi said during the press conference, which she called an opportunity to bring a voice to the loss and justice to the loss.

She acknowledged that the long-term care industry did not receive the resources and support needed from the beginning but said facilities should not abdicate their responsibility for the safety of their residents. By repealing the liability portion of the law, Biaggi said it can provide transparency and accountability for every family who lost a loved one.

Repealing this provision will allow for every family to be able to hold accountable the facilities that have engaged in negligence, but right now are prevented from doing that, she said.

Kim, who lost an uncle in a nursing home to COVID-19 in April, said repealing the provision will help in finding the truth, exposing the truth and seeking some level of justice for loved ones who unnecessarily passed away alone.

Kim said the state handed senior living and care business executives a get out of jail free card, disincentivizing the industry from doing more to save lives. He said discussion about immunity should be done openly in a public hearing with families who have lost loved ones.

They took that conversation away for us and we should be having that conversation now, Kim said.

Several other states have passed laws or issued executive orders providing COVID-19 liability immunity to long-term care providers and facilities.

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Lawmakers move to repeal senior living industry COVID-19 immunity provision - News - McKnight's Senior Living

Milwaukee School of Engineering, along with three corporate partners: We Energies, Rockwell Automation and American Family Insurance, will open theWe Energies STEM Center at MSOEthis fall. The new center will be the premier STEM destination in Milwaukee for students of all ages and home to all of MSOEs STEM outreach efforts. These programs aredesigned to introduce students to science, technology, engineering and mathematics by providing access to resources, mentoring, and hands-on, experience-based learninga hallmark of an MSOE education.

In 2017, MSOE made a strategic investment in STEM outreach by establishing a dedicated department to grow, sustain and develop a comprehensive STEM pipeline for all students in Milwaukee and beyond. Since then, the number of students who have participated in our programs has quadrupled. We have reached more than 10,000 students from 150 K-12 schools, said Dr. John Walz, MSOE president. TheWe Energies STEM Center at MSOE is a game changer and we are grateful to have the support of We Energies, Rockwell Automation and American Family, among others.

MSOE and its three industry partners are committed to building on this success and reaching even more students from a variety of backgrounds. The center will enable MSOE to continue to grow its in-house programming while providing unique opportunities to collaborate on programs with K-12 schools, local companies, community groups and organizations. The We Energies STEM Center at MSOE will be built in existing campus space at ground-level on the northern side of Pamela and Hermann Viets Field,1305 N. Broadway.

We Energies, Rockwell Automation and American Family each bring a unique contribution to the STEM center project, all to support the shared goal of providing opportunities to bring together schools, local companies, community groups and organizations to create impactful, inclusive programming. The purpose is to provide an accessible, dedicated space for all K-12 students to explore, create and define their future in STEM.

We Energies is creating an opportunity that enables students from any schoolpublic, private, charter and homeschoolto have access to hands-on, one-of-a-kind STEM experiences.

Education is the critical catalyst for the communities we serve and STEM feeds and fuels everything we do as a company. This facilitywill provide critical hands-on learning opportunities and open avenues for students to participate in programs they may not otherwise have access to, said Kevin Fletcher president and CEO of We Energies parent corporation WEC Energy Group, and MSOE Regent. Were excited to partner with MSOE to engage and grow future leaders who will shape not only the energy industry, but also our world.

Rockwell Automation is making it possible for MSOE to continue to support and expand the opportunities for all students to participate in STEM programs. MSOE students, alumni and partners who mentor and support For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST)teams will have a dedicated place to enable all students to go pro in STEM throughFIRST. Local teams will have access to dedicated storage space, tools and work equipment. The Rockwell Automation-sponsoredFIRSTRobotics development zone will include space for a 1,500-square-foot playing field area where teams will have plenty of space to test their designs and practice for competitions. The center is an opportunity to decrease barriers, and give students access to resources they need to be successful in their STEM-related extracurricular activities.

At Rockwell Automation we believe in expanding human possibility. In our communities, we make investments in students; our makers, builders, innovators, said Patricia Contreras, Rockwell Automation director of community relations. Our commitment to address the opportunity and the belief gap for underrepresented students starts with our financial investments amplified by employee mentorship in our global headquarters, here in Milwaukee. Through the STEM center, the power of innovation + technology + mentorship will inspire young minds. We know this partnership with MSOE will empower and inspire students to make the impossible possible.

Employment in STEM-related jobs is expected to grow at 16% in the United States, far outpacing all other employment fields. In addition, jobs in STEM fields earn on average 10% more than jobs with similar education requirements. At the same time, there is a critical need for a more diverse workforce. Diversity and inclusion are an intentional and integrated part of the strategy for the STEM Center to truly empower and support all students in their exploration of STEM futures.

To support this, American Family is actively building a pipeline where all students have an equal opportunity to explore, engage and succeed in STEM fields, specifically in tech fields. American Family will bring expertise, guidance and support to programs ranging from artificial intelligence to coding for students of all ages.

American Family is committed to Milwaukee, and as a partner and future neighbor, were proud to support MSOE and its passion to expand STEM education, said Jim Buchheim, American Family community and social impact officer. This center will provide a tremendous opportunity for a diverse group of students to participate in high-quality tech learning and prepare for successful STEM careers.

The university is targeting a fall opening for the We Energies STEM Center at MSOE and looks forward to a strong future of STEM education. Staff, faculty, K-12 educators, community and corporate partners are committed to operating the center following health guidelines. The center will be the headquarters for all of MSOEs K-12 community STEM programming. That programming can take place in a number of ways, including virtual, should the pandemic situation require so.

Construction begins June 15 on the We Energies STEM Center at MSOE. Uilhelin/Wilson Ramlow/Stein Architects are the project developers and Catalyst Construction is the construction manager. Additionally, Milwaukee Tool has agreed to gift tools to help outfit the new STEM Center. MSOE Corporation member Scott Haag and his wife Linda have also made a gift in support of this project.

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MSOE: To open 10,000-square-foot STEM education center this fall - Wisbusiness.com

As more small businesses in Detroit look to open up their doors after the Covid-19 crisis, a group of entrepreneurs wants to help them also get online.

This past weekend, a team of Forbes 30 Under 30 alumni collaborated to create a platform that connects low-tech businesses with students who are eager to get real-world experience. The project was part of the second weekend of a virtual Forbes Under 30 Detroit Hackathon, a monthlong initiative developed in partnership with Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans and Major League Hacking.

Because many of Detroits small businesses dont have the technical expertise or funds to build their own online presence, the team decided to build a platform that connects businesses with web developers that want to help make a website, e-commerce capabilities, or social media presence (or all the above). The platform, called VolunTier, taps into the students at various coding schools and universities to give coders a chance to get real-world experience. By using VolunTiers web app or an automated phone questionnaire, businesses request services to be completed while students on the other end can select projects theyd like to work on. To incentivize participation, students have an opportunity to earn ratings, reward points, endorsements and networking opportunities.

I think we all came at it with different perspectives, says Katherine Relle, a portfolio manager with J.P. Morgan Private Equity Group. Some people were thinking more storytelling, some people were thinking more actual technological solution like an app or a platform, and some people were thinking about social entrepreneurship type things. And I think what we came up with is a pretty good combination of all of that.

Several people on the VolunTier project were from Detroit and weighed in with their own knowledge of the city. One of them was Rock Connections Change Agent Alice Ogadinma, who says one way of getting small businesses to adopt VolunTier would be to visit the citys various neighborhoods and pass out flyers as part of a grassroots effort to explain how VolunTier might help business recover.

The community funds and drives small businesses so it can be implemented as long as we are very intentional at understanding their niche markets and understanding who they are so we can get them the right support, Ogadinma says.

The tiered model also helps solve another problem facing Detroit and many other cities: the economic downturn and subsequent weak job market. Kimeshan Naidoo, chief technology officer and cofounder of Unibuddy, says hes spent a lot of time research code schools with the plan of potentially creating one in South Africa to address the shortage of of training for developers. However, he says code schools teach content but often just for fictional concepts rather than real-world solutions.

People think theres a demand for tech talent, but theres a demand for experienced tech talent, he says. Theres actually a lot of junior engineers that are looking for opportunities.

While the initial focus for VolunTier was Detroit, it could be replicated and scaled to other cities of varying sizes. The team also thinks it could be expanded for other talents such as photographers who might want to take photos for small businesses.

Its a way to take a scalable, replicable framework and pilot it in or lease It in different cities while also keeping it local, keeping it authentic while building person-to-business or person-to-person connections within those communities, says David Thomas Tao, CEO and cofounder of BarBend. I think with the right stakeholders and connections, this could be making an impact in the very near future. This isnt a yearlong build. This could start making an impact in Detroit next month with the right partners, stakeholders, and finding strategic sources of incentivized volunteers.

Team Members: Katherine Relle, Portfolio Manager, J.P. Morgan Private Equity Group; Tiffany Pang, Cofounder & CEO, Outreach Grid; Princess Sims, Diversity & Inclusion Liaison, Rock Ventures; Alice Ogadinma, Change Agent, Rock Connections; David Thomas Tao, Cofounder & CEO, BarBend; Kimeshan Naidoo, Cofounder & CTO, Unibuddy; Naoki John Yoshida, Principal, Hellman & Friedman.

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These Hackathon Participants Want To Bring Detroits Small Businesses Online With The Help Of Coding Students - Forbes

Photo: ALASTAIR PIKE | Getty Imges

Brands Do Need to Take a Stand. Here's How to Do So Responsibly.

Nike, Walmart, Ben & Jerrys, Twitter and Google: These are just a few of the major brands that have responded to the news of George Floyds murder by taking a stand against racism. Their actions vary, from Nikes Dont Do It ad, to Ben & Jerrys new Justice Remixed flavor, to Walmarts $100 million pledge for the creation of a center on racial equity. But each one is a poignant reminder of brands unique ability to influence and reshape public opinion.

It has been my lifes work to infuse values into marketing campaigns that aim to spark positive social change. While working at Unilever, I spearheaded Global Handwashing Day with Unilevers Lifebuoy soap brand. In its first year, 2008, over 20 million children participated. It ultimately shifted the hygiene habits of millions of people around the world. The Lifebuoy team has just announced that it has now reached 1 billion people. Ive taken a similar approach to help Pepsodent toothpaste improve oral hygiene in Africa and Knorr bouillon cubes fight anemia through encouraging mothers and girls to eat more green leafy vegetables alongside its iron-fortified cubes. I discuss all of this in my new book, Brands on a Mission: How to Achieve Social Impact and Business Growth Through Purpose.

Related:Here's How Business Leaders Are Responding to the George Floyd Protests

These successes make sense given that, with their natural incentives to get people to buy their products, brands have an inherent ability to reshape peoples views and habits. They have decades of experience convincing consumers to do just that, and the tools, resources and creative heft to change social norms and influence conversations. They can spread messages far and wide, among both consumers and their employees.

With such power and influence, it is simply no longer acceptable for brands to remain silent, especially in these times when consumers are craving positive examples to fill the void left by governments.

However, there are parameters brands must respect in order to strike the right tone and behave in a responsible, constructive manner when taking a stand.

Although there will always be factions of the public that become inflamed at one message or another, it is incumbent upon brands to be intentional in choosing messages. Brands might choose messages that are seen as controversial, like when Nike supported Colin Kaepernick taking a knee and some customers protested by burning their Nike products. It is crucial to take a stance with integrity and good intentions. As Nike said at the time, we must all believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything. Nikes Dont Do It slogan is a brilliant example of messaging mindfully and with integrity because it is so closely aligned with its longstanding, familiar and non-controversial slogan, Just Do It.

Ben & Jerrys can speak with confidence and authority on Americas current times because since the civil rights movement, its founders have supported work towards racial equality on several fronts education, housing inequality, income inequality and the criminal justice system. Sending social messages through new flavors and their names is a thoughtful, natural extension of what Ben & Jerrys is as a brand.

Related:How Should You Be Talking With Employees About Racism?

Responsible brands do not take advantage of social issues as opportunities to advance marketing and growth. A social purpose is just that: a social purpose that will pay in the long term. There might be business benefits to taking a stand, but it is irresponsible when these become the primary motivation for social action. Moreover, actions taken with profits in mind will ring hollow and inauthentic, drive customers away and tarnish a brands reputation.

We've all witnessed major brands fail in this way. Pepsi's 2017 "Live for Now" campaign featuring Kendall Jenner as a model-turned-protestor who joined the Black Lives Matter movement (in the end, handing a police officer a Pepsi as a deescalation tactic) drew massive backlash, as would-be consumers accused the brand of capitalizing on the pain of #BLM for profits, among other things. Pepsi pulled the ad immediately, but just days ago, an image of an actual protestor in the current riots went viral. He was attempting to hand a police officer a Pepsi. People don't forget.

Related:To Understand the Riots, Consider the "Valuation" of Black Lives

In taking a stand, brands also have the power to shatter stereotypes. Doing so in a responsible, constructive way means choosing words and images that reflect the reality of the different communities portrayed whether it is around gender, race, body size, LGBTQI+, differently abled bodies and disabilities both visible and invisible while remaining respectful. Showing images of people from racial and ethnic minority communities in positions of power and leadership is one example.

I am a big believer in the difference between brand say and brand do, terms coined in 2016 by Steve Miles and widely used within Unilever and its agencies. Brand say involves communicating to consumers about the social purpose; brand do is about translating this purpose into actually addressing social problems. Put simply, you need to walk the talk and take action.

Ben & Jerrys has a stellar brand do ethic. Its messaging about equality is reflected on its board. For many years, the company has supported work among indigenous Americans too financially and with legal aid protests against the Dakota Access pipeline. It has worked with the LGBT community: In 1989, long before it was legally required, it extended health insurance benefits to partners of its LGBT employees. Shea Moisture is another example of a brand that makes good on its promises by supporting small black businesses.

Related:Alexis Ohanian's Resignation from Reddit is the Type of Leadership the World Needs

Steps brands can take in general to bridge the say with the do include actively recruiting and retaining diverse talent, including at the board level; creating safe spaces in the workplace where employees can express themselves; and building coalitions with nonprofit and grassroots organizations to help advance shared missions. Coalitions with the nonprofit and public sector organizations have been key to the success of initiatives such as Global Handwashing Day, Knorrs drive to improve nutrition and Durexs campaign to normalize condom use.

Adopting moral values means that you will follow them throughout your operations, including through your supply chain as well. You cant hide one part of your activities by jumping on the wagon of race: This defeats the purpose. For example, I would encourage Walmart to not only stand up for racial inequality but also to take a hard look at how guns which its stores sell play a role in the deaths of many black people.

Creating change begins with educating people about the issues. Campaigns and messaging must aim to both present scenarios of positive change and educate the public about the reasons it's needed. CBS Sports not only stopped broadcastingfor eight minutes and 46 seconds to protest the George Floyds murder but also partnered withColor of Changeto ask viewers to demand an end to broken windows policing, add legitimate civilian oversight boards with full investigatory power and reduce police budgets, among other things.

Developing a social mission has also become a business imperative. Whereas quality was once the primary differentiator between brands, today, embracing a social purpose has become a key way for brands to set themselves apart in the crowded marketplace. Brands that stand up for the right thing to do are all the more likely to come out of the current crisis in a position of strength, while those without a mission risk getting left behind.

Related:Black-Owned Restaurants and Businesses You Can Support Right Now

Related:Makers of Tomorrow: Criteo CEO Megan ClarkenPlanning for Organizational Change: HR Strategies to Help Your Business Navigate the New 'Normal'How to Say No to Anyone Without Feeling Guilty

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Brands Do Need to Take a Stand. Here's How to Do So Responsibly. - The Advocate

For the last few weeks, Americans and people around the world have risked their lives by leaving their safe shelters from the coronavirus to protest after the murder of George Floyd captured in a video that, like the virus, circled the planet.

This event triggered wide-ranging conversations in all areas of society about the role of the police and society-wide biases regarding Black citizens. As conversations have progressed, many of us are engaging in the uncomfortable examination of our own biases even at the subconscious level, and how these biases result in perpetuating oppression in our society.

For my own part, as a member of the space community a field symbolizing the future as no other human activity does I was convinced that I was too socially evolved to be prejudiced. As one who has promoted the roles of women and other underrepresented groups in my own events, and who in my private life sometimes volunteers at a food kitchen for the homeless, I was able to nestle comfortably in my own self-congratulatory state of enlightenment. After all, what field is more socially progressive than space? We are the leading edge!

Space people like to point out our field has been integrated for a long time. We"ve had a Black NASA administrator, Black astronauts, Black program directors and more. Heck, we've been working the problem ever since Uhura started helping Captain Kirk save the Enterprise! (Ironically, around the same time, Black women at NASA now nicknamed "Hidden Figures" were saving the Apollo program.)

I now see that even I am trapped in this illusion, and in my opinion we in the space community have been too smug in our belief that we've been dealing with this issue.

While we have indeed set up role models and moved forward faster than many segments of society, a lot of what we've been doing is window dressing and tokenism when it comes to diversity in real leadership roles. Space is still largely a White guy industry. Just follow the money.

I asked our research team at SpaceFund Intelligence to do just that, and what we found may surprise you. For example, of the top 20 NASA commercial contractors, not one of them is led by a Black CEO, only two have a minority leader, and only five have a woman at the helm. Only one is majority-owned by any minority, Arctic Slope Regional, which is an Alaska Native corporation.

Worse, while some are engaged in what an outsider might see as a token effort, based on our data, nine of the 20 companies have no Black board members at all. Based on information available to our team from publicly held companies, this "white" list includes major names such as SAIC, Bechtel, MAXAR, ULA and others. None. Not even a token. (Ok, I have to point this one out. According to what we found, Bechtel's sole African-American executive is its Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer 'nuff said.)

Sadly, even our leading edge "NewSpace" companies, many founded and run by some of the same age groups we see in the streets, aren't doing any better. While harder to examine as most are privately held, a quick close look by SpaceFund reveals that almost all of the most well-known stars of NewSpace are run by White guys. The very rare exceptions are run by women. None of them have Black or minority CEOs or board chairs. Also, lest righteous fingers point across the Atlantic, the same critique can be leveled at the European space community. The UK and European Space Agency and their contractors do a tiny bit better when it comes to female leadership roles, but again, there is no reflection of the taxpaying population at the top. This isnt just an American problem.

Before you spin the camera back on me, I plead guilty.

As I write this our company is drawing up a plan to add more Black experts to our advisory board and will soon issue a specific call for business plan submissions by Black-, minority- and women-owned start-ups. (SpaceFund has a female Managing Partner and wee recently spun off SpaceFund Intelligence as a woman-owned business.)

I use the term "token" in my descriptions. As this discussion is fraught with possible misunderstandings, let me be clear that I get that if there is only one person of a particular race or gender in a particular role, that person can be seen as either a token or a first-of - and one should hope they are the latter. Clearly, they are of a high caliber to have the jobs. But when across company executives, boards and leadership roles the numbers are consistently in the ones and twos, well, there is a problem with the system not the person who earned the job. A problem we must fix.

How? Simply sprinkling Black people and other members of minority groups in jobs at the top might be a good near-term signal, but unless it is accompanied by systemic shifts, the industry is simply posing. I know aerospace has a massive and effective public relations machine, but this cant just be PR. Unlike oil companies running renewable energy ads to green-wash themselves, the space industry must make substantive and structural changes leading to real, visible results. Changing who stands on the top steps of the ladder does little to assure it is easier to climb.

I believe industry needs to convene itself immediately, with or without NASA and the U.S. government, and begin a new, intentional conversation outlining concrete steps to open the way to the top for other leaders to rise. We must identify at what rungs on the ladder things go wrong and fix them or throw out the ladder.

As what's happening in the streets attests, we obviously can't wait for government-led solutions. Just as citizens have managed themselves in peaceful protest for change, we as a community must do so. I am not interested in sound bites from NASA administrators or congressional chairs, or in space company leaders making speeches. I don't think the folks on the streets and in our Black, female and minority communities are either.

The space community including business, science and academia needs to take serious, real action. Each of us, each CEO, manager, leader, institution and group, each must face our own internal frontier, come out of our own airlock with our own solutions and contributions. Each company, contractor, lab and center must step back, analyze itself and its practices, come up with a plan for change, then step up and just do it. Given that we style ourselves as a scientific and engineering culture, let's use facts, data, and testing over time to assure the actions we take are not just feel-good words, photo ops and token gestures, but have provable, real results.

This really is one of those moments when the future can be changed. Space has led the way before, and especially in recent decades the space and science communities have tried to do the right thing something for which we should be proud. For example, in speeches I point out that even in times of Cold War-like tension there is one place in the solar system where Russians and Americans don't just work together, but love each other as deep friends, and it's just a couple hundred miles overhead in the International Space Station. If we can do that, we can certainly do this.

Black lives do matter. And it matters what the space community does right now in support of this cause.

Space is for ALL humanity. The signal that we can send the world from space is powerful.

Let's craft a new reality that doesn't just signal with images, but signals real change.

Rick Tumlinson is the founder of SpaceFund, a venture capital firm investing in space startups. He also founded the Space Frontier Foundation, Earthlight Foundation and New Worlds Institute and is a founding board member of the X Prize Foundation.

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Space, Race and Reality (Op-Ed) - Space.com

Image courtesy of Wendy B. Motch-Ellis

Wendy B. Motch-Ellis, the director of Campus Recreation at theUniversity of North Carolina Asheville, shares about her journey in becoming an active ally in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

Campus Recreation is uniquely positioned to make a significant impact among our campus community related to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). On many campuses, we have more student employees than anywhere else on campus.We also see a large cross-section of students participating in our various programs from competitive sports to outdoor programs. And while campus recreation has always welcomed everyone, we have not always been intentional about recognizing the various identities of our participants and their needs. Rather, we had an attitude that when folks came to the recreation center, everyone left their issues at the door and we were a neutral place where folks could just play.

In 2012, NIRSAadopted new strategic values, established an EDI commission and implemented a formal NIRSA Statement for Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion.Commission members articulated the need for EDI to be woven into professional competencies.We could no longer rely on just the multicultural office; Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), or other experts to come in when invited, but rather, all campus recreation professionals need to have EDI competencies just as you would have risk management competencies. NIRSA focused on increased workshops and presentations related to EDI topics, and the EDI Commission culminated its work with the publication Equity, Diversity & Inclusion: A Resource Guide for Leaders in Collegiate Recreation. Echoing recent communications from the NIRSA board and NIRSA headquarters related to current events, now more than ever we must acknowledge that EDI impacts peoples health and well-being, and we need EDI competencies to support our students and colleagues and work towards truly creating healthy communities.

Today, more and more colleagues around the country, particularly White colleagues, have increased their awareness of equity and diversity related issues, have spent more time listening to our BIPOC and other underrepresented colleagues and students, and are aware of the importance of intentional conversations and learning opportunities around EDI in staff training, as well as program curriculum. There is an increase in the number of professional staff, as well as student leaders, who are more aware of the impact policies, practices and interactions have on the true inclusion of all members of our campus community. Departments that have embraced EDI as one of the core values of campus recreation utilize various strategies such as creating a diversity committee, work to infuse EDI competencies into job descriptions and performance evaluations, provide on-going professional development related to EDI, and include EDI goals in each employees annual plan.

The impact of embracing or not embracing EDI throughout campus recreation can be felt and seen among staff and students.Engaging in authentic work around EDI positively impacts staff retention, increases involvement of diverse program participants, impacts the retention of students as well as the quality of the student experience.In conversations with colleagues around the country, a few powerful examples of EDI within campus recreation include changes in policies and practices that impact full engagement in our programs and services, personal stories of students or staff feeling more connected and welcome within campus recreation, and powerful teachable moments where learning occurs.The EDI Resource Guide for Leaders in Collegiate Recreation offers examples of real situations that have occurred around the country and discussion questions to help staff think about how they might respond in a similar situation on their campus.

For folks who are just beginning their EDI journey, it is important to know everyone is at their own place in this journey and it is a very personal journey on how you move forward in learning about EDI. As I reflect on my journey which is still underway, key lessons Ive learned have been to always remain curious, that it is my responsibility to educate myself, and to know I dont have to agree with every opinion I come across, but that I understand objectively and critically why I believe or think the way that I do, that I remain open to challenging narratives I may have been taught,and that it aligns with my values of who I want to be as a person.

In the early 90s, the first piece I ever read about EDI was Peggy McIntoshs White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.I was 22 years old and in a Student Affairs graduate program when I first consciously recognized one of my identities is that Im White.I have other non-dominant identities based on my gender identity, sexual orientation and religion, which were always at the forefront of how I saw myself, and privilege was not one of the words I used to describe my life experiences. It took some of my own unpacking to recognize and understand how I move through the world based on the color of my skin and how race plays such an impactful role in our lived experiences.Twenty-five years later, I still find myself having to re-check my Whiteness and the privilege that comes with being White and the choices I can make on how I show up and interact with others.

Ive also learned that because everyone is at their own place, it can be very difficult to talk to others and find common ground.Some folks are open to share and engage in conversations while others are not comfortable or may not feel brave enough to share how they feel or think about race and EDI.Some folks are afraid of saying the wrong thing or may not feel they can safely explore race in their current environment and must do so silently.Self-care is critical, and you can make choices on who and how you engage with others.There are lots of groups available online that are meeting virtually and talking about EDI. If youre still not sure how racism is really present in our country, you might want to watch the documentary 13th. If youre struggling with how youre feeling, you may find some insights reading Dr. Robin DeAngelos White Fragility.It can also be helpful to reflect on your discomfort when talking about race and equity.And if you are White, this is part of recognizing White privilege and that you can enter this space at your leisure when you feel comfortable or its convenient.Challenge yourself to be empathetic and comfortable being uncomfortable and recognize folks with salient non-dominant identities feel discomfort most of the time.

If youre in a space that is led and designed for BIPOC, it can be helpful to just listen and be there in support and just observe and learn.Its also important to be aware of the White savior complex, where White folks may have learned a little about racial equality, are truly interested in making changes, have good intentions, but approach this work in a way that alienates or offends others, especially BIPOC.Keep in mind that while you might have really great things to contribute, White folks have a history of entering a space and taking over or dominating the conversation.In addition, who are we to educate people of color on their lived experiences? Take the time to unpack your need to prove you have enough knowledge to be at the table.Respect and preserve spaces for BIPOC, listen, observe, and offer help when needs are identified and help is requested by BIPOC.

I have personally found great value in focusing on myself and engaging in conversations with other White folks around holding myself accountable to keep moving forward on my EDI journey, to learn and listen a lot more to other voices.I also try to read and watch a wide variety of Anti-Racism Resources written by diverse authors that are both White and BIPOC.There is also great power in sport to create social change.Reading or watching content such as the Showtime series Shut-Up and Dribble by LeBron James, ESPNs 9 for IX and 30 for 30 series, as well as looking at stories, biographies, and the history of inclusion, oppression and discrimination in sport are incredibly powerful.There are triumphs and travesties in the world of sports, and sport has played a significant role in influencing and reflecting societal issues.

As Ive grown as an ally, Ive shifted my focus to think about how I can be of service to others, especially BIPOC and other underrepresented folks, to advocate for more voices and representation at the table, but more importantly, to step back and create a space where non-dominant voices are truly able to lead and focus my work on how I can support and champion their leadership, goals and vision, without stepping into the limelight, asking folks what they need/want and offering resources where Im able.This can be hard as a person with multiple non-dominant identities that has not always or still even today been welcome at the table, particularly in the world of recreation and sports.I many times still yearn for my voice to be welcome and accepted at the table.

As I grapple with these emotions, I remind myself that I still have this White privilege that has helped me move through spaces far easier than colleagues and students who have non-dominant identities and are BIPOC. As Ive become more educated around EDI, I have also challenged myself to be courageous and brave and call-out behaviors that perpetuate inequality.This work is scary and hard, and there are cost-benefits associated with moving from just being an ally, especially a performative ally that only shows up when its convenient or feels safe, to becoming an active ally, or as Betinna Love says, a co-conspirator that is willing to be brave and put themselves on the line. We are at a crossroads in our country where being complicit is perceived as contributing to the systemic issues and if we dont act now, then when?

The 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge provides additional resources on committing to your EDI journey andDr. Kathy Obear has resources for white accountability.Regardless of where you are on your journey, as Maya Angelou said, Do the best you can until you know better.Then when you know better, do better.

A former colleague, Tracie Lockwood, the associate director at UCLA Recreation, created the image above while homeschooling her three children during the pandemic, teaching them about venn diagrams and talking with her children about the current events occurring in our country.It provides a great visualization of Angelous wise words, and a sense of hope as we each move through our unique EDI journey.

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Becoming an Active Ally in Your EDI Journey - Campus Rec Magazine

It was Dec. 1, 1999. As the police roundup unfolded, a group of us meeting inside the Labor Temple spilled out into the street. Ron Judd, the head of the King County Labor Council, whom I worked for at the time, was aghast to see the protesters essentially held at gunpoint. Judd announced publicly that any protester was welcome to find refuge in the Labor Temple, and that police were barred from entering the building. We stationed activists at the doors to enforce Judds order. As an officer shoved a nightstick at his neck, Judd, standing in the middle of First Avenue, called the deputy mayor to make sure his point got across to the political establishment: This police attack on protesters was an attack on all of labor, and the union movement would not sit idle.

Read more:Labor council to Seattle police union: Address racism or get out

For those of us standing on First Avenue that afternoon, that scene underscored a fundamental truth that has not changed over the years: There is no place in the house of labor for Seattles police.

Yet in the last 20 years, quite the opposite has happened: The Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG), historically unaffiliated with the union movement, joined the labor council in 2014 and has exploited that affiliation to advance its hostile interests.

Its time to sever that relationship. Wednesdays vote whether to expel SPOG offers the opportunity for the Martin Luther King County Labor Council to honor the basic union principle that an injury to one worker is indeed an injury to all.

The U.S. Justice Department determined, in late 2011, what Black and brown communities have known for decades that the Seattle Police Department enacted systemic, racially discriminatory excessive use of force practices.

The subsequent years of court oversight have not changed the fundamentals of police violence in Seattle. Police and their political protectors have resisted true reform. In the eight years since the federal consent decree, whereby the federal government took watch over the use of force, Seattle police have killed 28 more people all working class and disproportionately people of color. No police officer has been held accountable for these killings.

Perhaps the most strategic step that SPOG undertook while under court oversight was to affiliate in late 2014 with the labor council, the county federation of local unions encompassing close to 100,000 workers. Coming at the beginning of national Black Lives Matter movement, SPOGs affiliation was a savvy move. Unfortunately, the labor council leadership in 2014, which had completely turned over in the preceding years and was closely aligned with the citys political establishment, was all too happy to welcome SPOG. By joining the labor council, SPOG could claim union bona fides while taking advantage of the councils political chops and credibility.

SPOG affiliation turned out to be a disaster for working people in and out of unions, especially in Black and brown communities. And it marked yet another example of how far many unions have slid in recent decades from independent, militant, worker-led organizations to bureaucratized institutions whose leaders preferred closed-door hobnobbing with the political establishment over engaging and empowering rank-and-file union members.

The SPOG affiliation emboldened Seattle police to push back more aggressively against real reform. In 2018, SPOG negotiated a contract with Mayor Jenny Durkan that neutered modest police accountability measures that the Seattle City Council had adopted the previous year. SPOG, hand in hand with labor council leadership and the mayor, lobbied hard to win city council approval of the contract, claiming shamefully that the rollback of police accountability was necessary because of union rights.

Labor council leaders even threatened to run candidates against council members who opposed the SPOG-Durkan negotiated agreement. Surely police deserve good pay, but the labor council and the mayor combined the economic benefits with the accountability rollbacks in a single take-it-or-leave-it package. Only Councilmember Kshama Sawant (whom I now work for) joined with a diverse range of community organizations, along with a number of rank-and-file union members and some local union leaders, to oppose the SPOG contract.

The labor council leaderships heavy-handed lobbying for the SPOG contract and their open allegiance to the mayor broadcast a clear message: The labor council leadership stands with the police and the political establishment, not the communities most impacted by police violence.

Since the SPOG contract approval, Seattle police have killed six more people, beginning in December 2018 with the killing of Iosia Faletogo (a former labor union member, from a family of union members), and most recently with the killing of an African American homeless man in mental distress, whom Seattle police shot five times in Queen Anne just one month ago.

When I signed my first union membership card decades ago, I was taught that a union is simply a group of workers who come together to fight for the things we need, and to fight to protect one another; that our interests as workers differ from the interests of our employers and from the economic and political elites; and that the only way we have power in dealing with them is to band together as workers.

Police guilds like SPOG, on the other hand, come together not to join with us in common struggle, but to amplify and legitimate their power to carry out what they are hired to do. Their job, under capitalism, is to serve as an armed, legally-sanctioned force acting on behalf of economic and political elites. In doing so, they are arrayed against other union members, and indeed the entire working class. That is not a union; it is a protectorate of the elite.

This conflict is exactly what played out on First Avenue two decades ago, at strikes over the years, as police forced open picket lines to allow strikebreakers through, on numerous protests against ICE offices safeguarded by armed cops, and most recently on our streets, as tens of thousands of Seattleites came out to join worldwide protests against police murders of Black and brown people.

If you still think SPOG is a union, similar to a union of health care workers, machinists, office workers or construction workers, ask yourself this: What other union fights ardently to enshrine their legal right to shoot and kill other people, and to evade public accountability for those killings?

By embracing SPOG over the past six years, the labor council is associating our union movement with this systemic violence. Worse, the labor councils embrace of SPOG is facilitating and enabling racist, violent police behavior. That association is shameful and must end, not just because of what SPOG is and has done, but because if we dont cut SPOG loose, the labor council will have lost its soul.

Some have argued that SPOG should be allowed to stay if their leadership admits that racism is a structural problem in law enforcement and agrees to submit to training.

That argument betrays a complete misunderstanding perhaps intentional of the role of police. As we have seen from countless reform attempts over the decades, no amount of training is going to change the basic fact that Seattles police serve, and will continue to serve, the interests of the elites in our capitalistic society. What was true on the streets of Seattle 20 years ago is still true today.

Kicking SPOG out of our labor council wont change that immutable fact, either. But it will reestablish the principle within the labor council that unions exist to defend the interests of workers, and that the interests of unions are aligned with those of the community, not with the Seattle police and those whom the police protect.

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Opinion | Seattle Police have never belonged on our labor council - Crosscut