Dear friends and clients:
The Three Furies team whole-heartedly supports the Black Lives Matter movement. The violence against Black citizens isn’t new, and it’s not going to change until many more of us take action.
We’re doubling down on our own ongoing antiracist education and want to share with you ways that we are participating in anti-racist activism:
Diversifying our team
I took a hard look three years ago and realized that I needed to do MUCH better on diversity, equity and inclusion within my own company. The first step was to work on our team: We committed to seeking out Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) for all roles and partnerships.
Since then, we’ve successfully recruited women of color for strategy roles, freelance collaborations and vendor relationships. We instituted a review process to bring in more diverse voices to critique representation in our work. Whenever possible, we refer our clients to BIPOC professionals for projects and we actively propose ideas that include or promote BIPOC perspectives.
I'm proud of this progress but I also know it's not enough so we're going to step up our recruitment and make sure our full-time staff includes BIPOC project managers and that our creative network includes BIPOC designers.
Investing in professional development
Two years ago, we committed to better understanding bias. Last year, along with our sister company, Tipsy, we undertook training to help us recognize and address unconscious bias. We will continue our professional development with more training and coaching this year and in the years to come. If you have experienced anti-racist workshops or training that you would recommend, we welcome your suggestions.
Immersing ourselves in learning
Below are links to books by Black authors, to films about the Black experience, and to social media profiles of Black artists and Black leaders that we admire. We would love for you to share your favorites with us as well.
We are reading...
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?
How To Be Less Stupid About Race
So You Want To Talk About Race
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
We are watching...
Self-Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C. J. Walker
Accidental Courtesy: Daryl Davis, Race & America
We are loving….
We are following…
The effort will never end
We didn't start thinking about these issues last week and we won't stop trying to be better next week. My promise to you is that Three Furies will continue to practice antiracism by educating our team and advancing equity and inclusion in all aspects of our work.
A (more) personal note
As a white woman who lives and works in a historically Black neighborhood, I know that I have much to learn and even more to do. I commit to this effort today, tomorrow and for the rest of my life. I welcome your feedback and questions as I strive to be an effective ally and as I raise a child to understand both our privilege and our responsibilities. I am willing to share the resources I find useful, to talk about racism in public forums, to have difficult conversations with people in my life who don’t understand racism, and most importantly, to defer to those whose first-hand experience has earned them the authority to lead.
Amanda Neville, Founder/Lead Strategist