PHX Startup Week is a diverse ecosystem of entrepreneurs working together to help PHX thrive. Black entrepreneurs are valuable members of our PHX SUW community. The PHX entrepreneurship ecosystem wouldn’t be the success it is without your knowledge, input, and passion for building a better PHX. We are better together. You make us better.
We mourn with the Black community in Phoenix and around the country and believe Black lives matter. As a community, we are deeply saddened by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Dion Johnson and many others killed by police officers in acts of police brutality. The deep, systemic issues in this country which led to their deaths need to change.
PHX Startup Week stands in solidarity with the Black community and all those who are fighting tirelessly to end racism, stop police brutality, and end the historical and institutionalized oppression of Black people in our country.
The need to even make this statement demonstrates just how far we have to go to achieve systemic changes and true equality for the Black community. We will go further together, which is why we are calling on all members of our community to act now to support systemic change and take action to support Black entrepreneurs in PHX and fight for equality in our communities and our country.
Actions
1. Education: Learn about the issues and the history of racism in America. Learn why enacting systemic changes are everyone’s responsibility.
2. Conversations + Actions: Start conversations about what you can do in your business or within your company to support diversity and build an inclusive culture. Explore the systems and processes that may be hindering those goals and create action plans to change them and hold yourself and your company accountable.
3. Financial support: Buy from Black-owned businesses. Look outside of your immediate network when hiring individuals, contractors or companies to make sure you are listing potential jobs or opportunities where they are likely to be answered by diverse applicants. Donate money to non-profits doing the work of dismantling oppressive systems.
4. Advocate: Support candidates, initiatives, and organizations that pledge to dismantle racist systems.
5. Keep going: Don’t stop now. Racial discrimination is woven into the fabric of our country. Re-weaving that fabric won’t happen overnight. It will take all of us working together to fight for racial justice and continuing to do the internal and community work long after the hashtag fades.
#BlackLivesMatter
Resources:
- Anti-racism resources (Books, articles, movies, podcasts, etc)
- Books, Books and more Booklists
- Podcast lists
- Movie lists and Movie List
- Action lists:
Organizations: