Now is the time to embrace the LOA more fully than ever by taking individual
and collective action in the fight for justice, equity, and equality.
As a company committed to building a better world, we know we can’t do this without everyone. No matter what color, gender, size, religion, or sexual orientation you are, we embrace you in our mission to better business, organizations, policy, and products.
But what does “better” even mean?
The term “better” implies that there is always work to be done. We see this loud and clear in today’s society, particularly this week as uprisings around police brutality and the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery have swelled and shattered our day-to-day routines. Hatred, discrimination, and injustice are unacceptable and have no place in our society. Our communities need justice, reconciliation, and healing. Radical acceptance, support, and love must prevail. And we need to see this on every level of society.
There is a dizzying amount of “better”-ing that needs to happen on the systemic level in a society that has, for centuries, oppressed Black and brown folx. And we can wait no longer. As a movement company, our team believes in the power of initiating change from the ground-up: this means committing ourselves to becoming better allies, encouraging our friends and families to take part, and taking a stand locally, regionally, and beyond. In the ongoing struggle for equality, equal rights, and justice, we will listen to, support, and take guidance from the #BlackLivesMatter / anti-racism movement and progressive Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) organizations, business, leadership, politicians, and media. We will continue to seek guidance even after the current wave of attention has died down.
We stand with BIPOC communities impacted daily by social and environmental injustice. We condemn colonist white supremacy and anti-Blackness in all of its forms. We pledge to continue bettering our allyship and action as individuals by listening, educating, and supporting the initiatives above. Additionally, as a company, we are committing to the following action items:
- Immediately hiring diversity training consultants to support us in our own internal learning
- Communicating with local elected officials in support of the aims and goals of BIPOC-led social justice organizations, including Black Lives Matter — Santa Barbara chapter
- Working with our clients to develop actionable steps for them to take in support of equality and justice for BIPOC communities
- Elevating directions and resources from the BIPOC community, using these to educate ourselves and others
- Donating to Black-led initiatives, organizations, and businesses through a new employee-directed fund
- Creating educational resources for our clients and the community at large in support of BIPOC-led efforts
- Reaching out to our friends and family members to share BIPOC messages
The term ‘LOA’ comes from the belief that positive, intentional actions and thoughts committed by individuals and groups will create and attract more of the same. This concept — the Law of Attraction (LOA) — is fundamental to our business model and the way we lead our personal lives. Now is the time to embrace the LOA more fully than ever by taking individual and collective action in the fight for justice, equity, and equality. Which side of history will you be on?
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBG6EzJlIOT/?utm_source=ig_embed
Seeking to listen, learn, and take action?
Here are some useful resources our team has found. This list is alive and expanding as we find more that resonate — hit up alyssa@loacom.com with your favorite resources that you want added here.
Donate & Follow
- Support Victims — Quick links to memorial funds for the families of Black lives lost.
- Support Protestors — Quick links to bail funds by state.
- Support Black Owned Businesses Harmed in the Riots — A way to support Black-owned businesses affected by protests and COVID-19.
- Reclaim The Block organizes Minneapolis community and city council members to move money from the police department into other areas of the city’s budget that truly promote community health and safety. Follow on Facebook + Twitter.
- National Bail Out is a Black-led and Black-centered collective building a community-based movement to support our folks and end systems of pretrial detention and ultimately mass incarceration. Follow on Facebook + Instagram + Twitter.
- Bail Project combats racial and economic disparities in the bail system through their National Revolving Bail Fund. Follow on Facebook + Instagram + Twitter.
- Campaign Zero funds donated to Campaign Zero support the analysis of policing practices across the country, research to identify effective solutions to end police violence, technical assistance to organizers leading police accountability campaigns and the development of model legislation and advocacy to end police violence nationwide. Follow on Facebook + Twitter.
- The Innocence Project exonerates the innocent through DNA testing and reforms the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice. Follow on Facebook + Instagram + Twitter.
- Color of Change designs campaigns powerful enough to end practices that unfairly hold Black people back, and champion solutions that move us all forward. Follow on Facebook + Instagram + Twitter.
- NAACP has secured the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons since 1909. Follow on Facebook + Instagram + Twitter.
- Showing Up For Racial Justice is a national network of groups and individuals working to undermine white supremacy and to work toward racial justice. Follow on Facebook + Instagram + Twitter.
- United We Dream is the largest immigrant youth-led network which empowers people to develop their leadership, their organizing skills, and to develop our own campaigns to fight for justice and dignity for immigrants and all people. Follow on Facebook + Instagram + Twitter.
- National Black Food and Justice Alliance — organizes for Black food and land, by increasing the visibility of visionary Black leadership, advancing Black people’s struggle for just and sustainable communities, and building power in our food systems and land stewardship. Follow on Facebook+ Instagram + Twitter.
- The Okra Project is a collective that seeks to address the global crisis faced by Black Trans people by bringing home cooked, healthy, and culturally specific meals and resources to Black Trans People wherever they can be reached. Follow on Facebook + Instagram + Twitter.
- Black Table Arts gathers Black communities through the arts, towards better Black futures. Follow on Facebook + Instagram.
- Anti-Racist Resource & Policy Center aims to attract support from visionary philanthropists and foundations to fund teams of scholars, policymakers, journalists, and advocates to examine racial problems anew, innovate and broadcast practical policy solutions, and work with policymakers to implement them. Follow on Facebook + Instagram + Twitter.
- Equal Justice Initiative aims to end mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, challenge racial and economic injustice, and protect the basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society. Follow on Facebook + Instagram + Twitter.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBE79honQAe/?utm_source=ig_embed
Learn:
- Listen without ego and defensiveness to people of color. Truly listen. Don’t scroll past articles written by people of color — Read them.
- Bryanna Wallace & Autumn Gupta’s June Justice Guide — a daily guide with 10, 25, and 45 minute resources to read, listen to, and watch for the month of June that will educate you on being a better ally.
- 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice
- Ally Resource Guide
- Anti-Racism Resources
- Where do I donate? Why is the uprising violent? Should I protest?
- People of Colour Experience Climate Grief More Deeply Than White People
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAuyT_Yg5yt/?utm_source=ig_embed
Books and Media
- The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
- Caught: The Prison State and the Lockdown of American Politics by Marie Gottschalk
- Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
- Decolonize your bookshelf
- “Check out Black movies, TV, and other media that show POC as lead characters and in their full humanity. Queen Sugar, Insecure, Dear White People, The Carmichael Show, Blackish, Grownish, Atlanta, 2 Dope Queens, Black Panther, A Wrinkle in Time, Get Out, Girls Trip, Mudbound, How to Get Away with Murder, Scandal, The Cloverfield Paradox, Sorry to Bother You, Blindspotting, BlacKkKlansman, Little, If Beale Street Could Talk, Queen and Slim, PBS’ Great Performance of Much Ado about Nothing, youtube videos of Amber Says What, and Pose are a few.” — 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice
- 13th — currently available on Netflix
- Spotify’s Black Lives Matter: Songs of Empowerment and Pride playlist
- What are your suggestions?
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA82AtcBkFR/?utm_source=ig_embed
Think:
- Before you post, have you done your research?
- What can you do to support POC in your community?
- What are your local politicians’ policy on ending police brutality?
- When were you taught about race and culture?
- How do you plan on helping the fight to end racial discrimination and systematic oppression?
- How can you use anti-racist knowledge to change and progress conversations with friends, family, colleagues, and peers?
- How can you be actively anti-racist instead of simply “not racist”?
- What do you want to learn more about?
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAyWA9InG3t/?utm_source=ig_embed
Taking action in your community:
- Research your region’s policies on police brutality, public emergency, Police Department transparency and accountability, and County Sheriff transparency and accountability
- Write your local representatives and police chief to advocate on these issues
- Demand protection and preservation of Black landmarks, rather than monuments to white supremacy
- Demand institutional support for an annual Juneteenth celebration
- Call or write to your state legislators and governor supporting state-wide criminal justice reform including reducing mandatory minimum sentences, reducing sentences for non-violent drug crimes, passing “safety valve” law to allow judges to depart below a mandatory minimum sentence under certain conditions, passing alternatives to incarceration, etc. — 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice
- Join your local racial justice and equality groups. There is a lot of awesome work going on locally — get involved in the projects that speak to you.
- Know what Indigenous land you’re living on by looking that this map and research the groups that occupied that land before you did. Find out what local activism those groups are doing and give your money and time to those efforts.
- Support Black business, organizations, leadership, politicians, educators, media, artists, writers, and content creators
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA6MwflB76v/?utm_source=ig_embed
Taking action in Santa Barbara:
- Listen to and support the demands of Black Lives Matter — Santa Barbara / Juneteenth
- Email local representatives with your demands
- Donate to Central Coast-local Black-led Organizations and Chapters:
- Black Lives Matter Santa Barbara
- Juneteenth
- NAACP: San Luis Obispo County Branch
- NAACP: Santa Maria-Lompoc
- NAACP of Santa Barbara
- NAACP: Ventura County Chapter
- Martin Luther King Jr. Committee of Santa Barbara
- Central Coast Community Advocacy Coalition
- Coffee with a Black Guy
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