There are so many names to say, some we know, many we still have to learn. Each name a Black life that mattered, that still does. Each name a reminder of the unjust, violent oppression of Black people by white supremacist systems.
As a white individual and business owner, I am recognizing the ways I am participating within those systems. I am listening to Black voices to learn how those systems have impacted them for generations and how the intersectionality of racial justice and climate justice broadly overlaps. I am committed to the short and long term work, personally and professionally, to dismantle those toxic systems that harm Black, Indigenous and other communities of color.
GO Box is a small company with a big vision. Growing our team, our community, our operations and our impact must be done using a racial justice lens. Developing and nurturing that lens will require continual investment into BIPOC individuals – actively seeking out, listening to and amplifying their voices, hiring them as consultants and employees at every organizational level and following their lead on environmental and justice work. Staying authentic to that lens will require we be transparent in our actions and held accountable to our commitments.
In conclusion for now, we want to share this Grist.org opinion article If you care about the planet, you must dismantle white supremacy written by Tamara Toles O’Laughlin, the North America director for the global climate campaign 350.org. We also suggest referencing the 350PDX.org Take Action page for a list of the most effective actions to fight for climate justice locally and beyond. And check out Read Up on the Links Between Racism and the Environment by Somini Sengupta on The New York Times to learn more about the intersection of racial and environmental justice efforts.
In solidarity,
Jocelyn Quarrell
GO Box CEO
