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Black Lives Matter
The Feighan Team mourns George Floyd and all the lives lost to systemic violence. We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the structural financial and societal institutions that set the foundation for his tragic loss. The Feighan Team will not silently watch the blatant disregard for human life, and for Black lives in particular.
When we ignore color, we ignore patterns. The fact is that people of color (POC), and particularly Black people in the United States, have been disproportionately exploited and abused since this country’s inception. The long arc of systemic, historical discrimination against Black people begins with the trans-Atlantic slave trade, moves through Jim Crow’s de-jure segregation, de-facto segregation, and continues to brutalize Black people like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Christian Cooper. They are just a few of the thousands of Black lives lost and slighted in the fists of a racist status quo.
Just as there is a historical precedent for racial injustice, there is also a rich, historical precedent for anti-racist activism. The Feighan Team is proud to uphold this tradition: Our team stands in solidarity with protesters who rightfully pressure their leaders to be held accountable. We support their efforts on the ground through grassroots and grasstops organizing. We pledge ourselves to achieving structural change by amplifying the voices of farmworkers and their families, of community financial institutions and mission driven small business lenders, of Black-owned and POC-owned businesses, and the fight for access to responsible capital.
We, as a nation, cannot let this moment pass without taking action. We hover over the precipice of an equitable future but threaten to consumed by our past. We demand that national lawmakers, community leaders, and everyday Americans actively listen to the voices of black people and internalize what we learn. Unlearning racism means critically examining our complicity, acknowledging the benefits some have received by living in a racist society, identifying our biases, and responding in intentional, specific ways. We refuse to allow fatalism to take root in our journey forward. Only then can we achieve meaningful and long-lasting justice.
Black lives matter and to steal them is to steal from our collective humanity. We can make a difference and we cannot live in fear.
Our team compiled a list of anti-racist resources that we will draw on and we encourage others to as well. We also included opportunities to donate to organizations that engage in anti-racist efforts. We encourage you to seek out and share more knowledge outside of this list, which is by no means exhaustive.
When we ignore color, we ignore patterns. The fact is that people of color (POC), and particularly Black people in the United States, have been disproportionately exploited and abused since this country’s inception. The long arc of systemic, historical discrimination against Black people begins with the trans-Atlantic slave trade, moves through Jim Crow’s de-jure segregation, de-facto segregation, and continues to brutalize Black people like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Christian Cooper. They are just a few of the thousands of Black lives lost and slighted in the fists of a racist status quo.
Just as there is a historical precedent for racial injustice, there is also a rich, historical precedent for anti-racist activism. The Feighan Team is proud to uphold this tradition: Our team stands in solidarity with protesters who rightfully pressure their leaders to be held accountable. We support their efforts on the ground through grassroots and grasstops organizing. We pledge ourselves to achieving structural change by amplifying the voices of farmworkers and their families, of community financial institutions and mission driven small business lenders, of Black-owned and POC-owned businesses, and the fight for access to responsible capital.
We, as a nation, cannot let this moment pass without taking action. We hover over the precipice of an equitable future but threaten to consumed by our past. We demand that national lawmakers, community leaders, and everyday Americans actively listen to the voices of black people and internalize what we learn. Unlearning racism means critically examining our complicity, acknowledging the benefits some have received by living in a racist society, identifying our biases, and responding in intentional, specific ways. We refuse to allow fatalism to take root in our journey forward. Only then can we achieve meaningful and long-lasting justice.
Black lives matter and to steal them is to steal from our collective humanity. We can make a difference and we cannot live in fear.
Our team compiled a list of anti-racist resources that we will draw on and we encourage others to as well. We also included opportunities to donate to organizations that engage in anti-racist efforts. We encourage you to seek out and share more knowledge outside of this list, which is by no means exhaustive.
Anti-Racist Resources
Education
Official Black Wall Street and AfroBizWorld
Support small businesses by searching these directories for black-owned businesses in your community.
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter is an inclusive, international organization dedicated to eradicating violence in black communities and creating opportunities for black creatives and innovators to thrive. Find your local chapter here.
Community Justice Exchange and the National Bail Fund Network
The Community Justice Exchange is a national organization that provides strategic support for community organizers to tackle disproportionate criminalization and incarceration rates. Their offshoot project, the National Bail Fund Network, is made up of over sixty community bail and bond funds nationwide.
National Lawyers Guild and the National Police Accountability Project
The National Lawyers Guild works to advance human rights in the structure of our political and economic system. They were the first U.S. bar association to be racially integrated. Their offshoot project, the National Police Accountability Fund, works to educate and support legislative police reform.
NAACP and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund
The NAACP is a historic civil rights organization that seeks to end systemic racial inequality and enforce human rights at all levels. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund works to protect voting rights, reform the criminal justice system, and more.
Education
- "The 1619 Project" | The New York Times Magazine
- ”White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Knapsack Peggy McIntosh
- ”My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant” | The New York Times Magazine
- ”Mental Health Issues Facing the Black Community” | Sunshine Behavioral Health
- "How to Protest Safely: What to Bring, What to Do, and What to Avoid" | Wired Magazine
- Podcasts
- “1619” | New York Times
- “Code Switch” | National Public Radio
- “Intersectionality Matters!” | African American Policy Forum
Official Black Wall Street and AfroBizWorld
Support small businesses by searching these directories for black-owned businesses in your community.
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter is an inclusive, international organization dedicated to eradicating violence in black communities and creating opportunities for black creatives and innovators to thrive. Find your local chapter here.
Community Justice Exchange and the National Bail Fund Network
The Community Justice Exchange is a national organization that provides strategic support for community organizers to tackle disproportionate criminalization and incarceration rates. Their offshoot project, the National Bail Fund Network, is made up of over sixty community bail and bond funds nationwide.
National Lawyers Guild and the National Police Accountability Project
The National Lawyers Guild works to advance human rights in the structure of our political and economic system. They were the first U.S. bar association to be racially integrated. Their offshoot project, the National Police Accountability Fund, works to educate and support legislative police reform.
NAACP and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund
The NAACP is a historic civil rights organization that seeks to end systemic racial inequality and enforce human rights at all levels. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund works to protect voting rights, reform the criminal justice system, and more.