BPE Global Hot Topic – June 2020
Black Lives Matter
BPE Global stands with our Black community.
We recognize that America is not right, and it will not be right until Black Lives Matter. We acknowledge the pain and suffering that Black Americans have endured for hundreds of years. It is intolerable and we commit to fighting racism. We believe a different future is possible if all of us stand up and lean in.
At BPE Global, we have a platform that we can use. We are committed to using our platform, our voices, and our actions to eliminate racist behavior. Staying silent is not an option. To be clear, it is not our job to speak for those who have been wronged, they have their own clear voices. Those of us with platforms, power, and privilege must open a path for those voices and take a step back to listen to them. We acknowledge the pain and suffering and commit to lifting up the voices of those who don’t have the privilege and platform that we have.
We unequivocally stand with our Black and Brown sisters and brothers. America is not a true and just country when Black and Brown people are denied their rights. These racist abuses are not just limited to police brutality. Racial abuses are built into health care, housing, employment, education and more. We must stop these abuses.
American small businesses employed 58.9 million people1 while American multinational corporations employed 28.1 million workers in the U.S. in 2017. BPE Global is one of those small businesses. As a woman-owned business we are stepping up in defense of Black life. All of us small businesses can lead the charge by insisting on change until our society embodies racial and economic justice. Our voices can help bring about change and we can ask our partners and our clients to add their voices to this effort. We encourage our clients to have diverse boards of directors, leadership, management, and teams.
Now I am going to get personal –many white people believe that they do not need to do anything more than not be racists. We white people must understand the privilege that comes with being white. It is important to realize how often racism occurs and how overshadowing the threat of violence can be. Being white keeps us from being pulled over. Being white results in shop keepers asking how they can help us rather than following us through their stores. Being white gets us access to education, jobs, and healthcare. If white people want to be a part of ending racism, we must become anti-racists.
To become anti-racists, we must take action. Small steps that we can take include ending our silence and talking to our friends and family about the importance of fighting racism. It is our job to provide support and power to this movement and to help sustain this movement until meaningful change happens. We can do that by supporting Black-owned businesses and contributing to organizations that elevate the important voices that more people must hear. We urge you to contribute to Black Lives Matter Global Network, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Campaign Zero, and the Bail Project. BPE Global has donated to each of these organizations.
We acknowledge that racism has been an integral part of this nation’s past and present -- and we commit to fight systemic racism wherever we find it. We encourage you to make this commitment with us and join us in the fight to end systemic racism and white supremacy in this country.
In solidarity,
Every single one of us at BPE Global
BPE Global is a global trade consulting and training firm. Beth Pride is the President of BPE Global. You can reach Beth by email at beth@bpeglobal.com or by phone at 1-415-845-8967.