I Stand With the Black Community

I first and foremost want to acknowledge the pain that is happening in our country right now. It is upsetting. It is infuriating. It is tragic.

It shouldn’t have taken this long. It shouldn’t have taken so many innocent people dying for us as humans to wake up and finally do something about it. 

It's clear that the Black community is in pain right now and I acknowledge that this is not the time to push ahead in my business and agenda.

It is time to take action and join the movement. It’s time for the voices of others to be heard and be an ally, even if that means getting it wrong.

I am being confronted by my own racism that is inherently in me because I was raised as a white woman. I own this. I am educating myself and willing to go into the discomfort. 

I help entrepreneurs succeed and achieve their dreams in the natural food and beverage space- it’s always been my calling and my passion. Unfortunately, the industry is very under-represented of Black-founded brands and products. It is shocking, but I guess not all that surprising. I want this to change.   

I am so fortunate to work with several Black-owned food and natural product brands in Colorado and throughout the United States. Women like Pamela, owner of Miss Peabody’s, Keisha with Herbal Honey, Kasi, founder of Bryant Seasoning Co, Cecelia creator of Clay Love, Rahshida of June Poppies, Nana, co-owner of Homescape Pets, Angela, owner of Serein Naturals and Marilyn, founder of Estacious Coffee. 

I want to shine a spotlight on these brands owned by Black men and women in my community. Beyond my community, I want to highlight the Black founded food and beverage brands across the nation. My team has compiled a list of local and national food and beverage brands, local beauty and wellness brands, and local restaurants, markets and catering businesses all of which are Black-owned. Let’s use our dollars to lift them up and support them!

I commit to actively seeking opportunities to make the natural products industry more inclusive of race, identity and ethnicity. I will seek out and provide more resources to help passionate BIPOC entrepreneurs navigate the tricky food industry to launch successful businesses. 

We are taking a break from our ads and promotion of programs at Food Business Success to uplift the entrepreneurs doing the incredibly hard work of running a business and leading the way in this time of a national awakening. 

This is a time to educate ourselves if you are white. Confront your own racism. The first step is to recognize it and then you can change it. 

Here is the link to a list of Black-owned local and national food and beverage brands, local beauty and wellness brands, and local restaurants, markets and catering businesses. You can find more Black-owned food businesses and restaurants in the Denver/Colorado area from 303 Magazine and 5280 Magazine. 

Below you will find just some of the many anti-racist and educational resources and places to donate to that are supporting the movement. 

Educational + Anti-Racist Resources

Videos and Film:

• 13th, Directed by Ava Duvernay (Netflix)
• American Son, Directed by Kenny Leon (Netflix)
• Dear White People, Directed by Justin Simien (Netflix)
• See You Yesterday, Directed by Stefon Bristol (Netflix)
• When They See Us, Directed by Ava Duvernay (Netflix)
• If Beale Street Could Talk, Directed by Barry Jenkins (Hulu)
• The Hate You Give, Directed by George Tillman Jr. (Hulu)

Books:

• White Fragility, Robin DiAngelo
• Black Feminist Thought, Patricia Hill Collins
• Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson 
• So You Want To Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo

• The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison

• How to Be Antiracist, Ibram X. Kendi

• Redefining Realness, Janet Mock

Black Activists, Educators, and Accounts to follow on Instagram: 

• Ivirlei Brookes (@ivirlei) 
• Rachel Cargle (@rachel.cargle)
• Layla F. Saad (@laylafsaad)
• Brittany Packnett Cunningham (@mspackyetti)
• ShiShi Rose (@shishi.rose) 
• Ericka Hart (@ihartericka)
• Patrisse Cullors-Brignac (@osopepatrisse)
• Alicia Garza (@chasinggarza)
• Morgan Harper Nichols (@morganharpernichols)
• Until Freedom (@untilfreedom)
• The Conscious Kid (@theconsciouskid)
• Amanda Seales (@amandaseales) 

Organizations for Donations in Colorado

• Urban Leadership Foundation of Colorado - https://ulfcolorado.org/
• Curls on the Block - https://www.curlsontheblock.com/
• Read More - https://www.readmoreco.com/
• Youth Seen - https://youthseen.org/
• Black Lives Matter, Denver Chapter - https://www.facebook.com/BlackLivesMatter5280/
• Soul 2 Sisters - https://soul2soulsisters.org/
• Colorado Freedom Fund - http://www.blackbailout.org/

Organizations for Donations Nationwide

• National Bail Out - nationalbailout.org
• Black Visions Collective - blackvisionsmn.org
• Reclaim the Block - reclaimtheblock.org
• Official George Floyd Memorial Fund - www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd
• The Loveland Foundation - thelovelandfoundation.org 
• Black Urban Growers Association - https://www.blackurbangrowers.org/
• Fair Fight - https://fairfight.com/
• Soul Fire Farm - http://www.soulfirefarm.org/