How To Support the Black Community with Your Dollars and Voice
As Americans, we continue to witness injustices impacting the black community from people and institutions of power. Local First Arizona calls on our community members to stand up for justice and equity. It’s all our responsibility to work toward peace and justice and to end racist practices that target communities of color. We ask our community to take these actionable steps in support of black communities. These are all actions in YOUR full control — you can start today, you can start tomorrow — the important thing is to start.
1. Use the power of your dollars and support black-owned businesses in Arizona. You can support businesses through Archwood Exchange and others that promote and support local companies right here. Support black artists and musicians whenever possible.
2. Move your money out of banks that have consistently red-lined black families from receiving home loans and have invested in private prisons and detention centers — all systems that have disproportionately impacted black communities across the country.
3. Read and educate yourself about Black history in the United States and read books written by black authors. Do so by purchasing books from local bookstores like Grassrootz Books and Juice Bar and Palabras Bilingual Bookstore.
4. Elect leaders that represent diverse communities and reach out to your elected officials and demand they fight for policies that help black communities including criminal justice reform, mandatory minimum sentencing, and divestment from large financial institutions.
5. Finally, speak out and speak up. Have hard conversations with friends, family, and loved ones. It's on us.
Here in Arizona, we’ve seen largely white-led looting happening in cities like Scottsdale. Please do not believe those instances have anything to do with racial justice. We ask you to recognize the pain the black community has endured and also to recognize this is all of our issues. Everyone has a role to play in creating opportunity for all.
*We are working on a more comprehensive list of black-owned businesses, artists and organizations to support.
Listen in on this conversation with Roy Tatem Vanguard (NAACP, Founder of Vanguard Strategies & Consulting), LaNée Javet ( CEO & Founder of J. Mogul Enterprises), Ali Nervis (Archwood Exchange), and Stephanie Vasquez (Owner of Fair Trade Cafe) for a conversation on “Disrupting Diversity with Unity” in business and beyond.