My Anti-Racism Pledge

This episode will outline my commitment to the Black Lives Matter movement and my action plan to creating an anti-racist business and prioritizing anti-racism work both personally and professionally. I believe if you are going to be a part of a community or invest in me as a coach, you should know where I stand.

It’s been a while since I’ve been behind the mic and in your ears. I didn’t plan to take over 2 months off from this show, but this summer has been a season of change on so many fronts – personally, professionally, and globally – and I needed some time before I could get back to the podcast.

But I am back now and there are some exciting changes coming to the show and to my business.

But that’s for next week’s show.

Today I want to share with you the action plan I have put together for myself and my company to help me create an anti-racist business and prioritizing anti-racism work both personally and professionally.

Over the last couple of months, we have all seen the social media posts and the trending hashtags. And while buying an anti-racism book or sharing a post on Instagram is moving in the right direction, it is not enough to create lasting, systemic change.

Anti-racism work is important to me. But I will admit, it wasn’t always a priority for me. That changed about 18 months ago when I met Monique Melton at Alt Summit in March 2019. I started following her, taking her courses and working with her has changed me. She has challenged me to do more.

Another person who has inspired and challenged me is Rachel Rodgers. Rachel founded the Hello 7 community and I recently watched the Town Hall she hosted on Reimagining Small Business. At the end of the town hall, Rachel asked the participants to take the Hello Seven’s Anti-Racist Small Business Pledge.

I took that pledge and on this episode, I want to share the specific commitments I’m making and the action steps I have taken with you all.

I’m sharing this plan for two reasons:

1.    To publicly show my support for Black Lives Matter, share the steps I’ve been taking prior to the events of the last few months, and share the new steps I will be taking toward ending systemic racism and oppression. If you’re going to be part of a community and even invest your money in a company, you deserve to know what kind of company you’re supporting, and whether or not that company aligns with your values.

2.    So that you can hold me accountable. I’m not about posting an Instagram caption and calling it a day. I am ready to do the work of anti-racism and take imperfect action. If I am not living up to the goals I set in this plan, you have every right to tell me. Being called out or called in doesn’t feel great but I know that it’s necessary for me to learn. I’m not an expert on anti-racism. I am learning and unlearning alongside everyone else doing this work. I’m going to make mistakes. And when I do, I am committed to learning, reflecting, and course-correcting.

 Before I go any further, let me state: I stand in solidarity with Black people, Indigenous people and People of Color and I am committed to using my platform, my dollars, and my physical body to dismantling white supremacy. 

Just wanted to be crystal clear about that!

 As I was coming up with this plan, I thought about the “inside-out” framework that Monique Melton teaches. So I broke my commitments into 2 areas – personal (inside) and professional (outside).

 Here are my personal commitments:

1.    I will not speak at an event (digital or in-person) that doesn’t make a significant effort to highlight BIPOC voices. If I am asked to speak at an event that doesn’t highlight BIPOC voices, I will educate the event host about why I am declining their offer and how they can do better. 

2.    I will seek out events (digital and in-person) that are organized by BIPOC. The majority of events and conferences I attend are run by white women. Moving forward, 50% of the conferences I will attend will be created and run by BIPOC women.

3.    I will continue reading, following, learning from  and PAYING BIPOC authors, creators, and educators (about all topics, not just social justice). I’ll also continue to consciously consume media content from BIPOC creators, rather than media/tv/art that only centers white voices and experiences. This is something I’ve personally been conscious of over the last few years, and I plan to make an even stronger effort to seek out BIPOC voices for myself and my family.

4.    I will continue to be conscious of where my personal spending is going. If there is a BIPOC-owned alternative to something I am purchasing, I will make an effort to purchase that. If you are looking to do the same, I recommend checking out: WeBuyBlack, The Black Wallet, Five Fifths, and Official Black Wall Street.

This also goes for my personal coaches and the educational programs I buy. I recently divested from the Life Coach School and Marie Forleo’s B-School because of their response to the Black Lives Matter movement. I have committed to investing in Black women - specifically in Rachel Rodger’s Hello Seven community. I feel much more alignment with that incredible group of men and women.

5.    I will continue to have uncomfortable conversations with family, friends, and strangers if I come across something that I feel is racist or biased. This includes my children. We as white parents need to be talking about race and racism with our children as much as Black parents do.

6.    My preferred gender pronouns have been added to my email signature, social media profiles, and Zoom name.

Here are my professional commitments:

1.    I will continue to implement a spending strategy that prioritizes BIPOC and BIPOC owned- or led-businesses. Right now, I am a solo-preneur but as I grow and start to hire, I am committed to spending at minimum 30% on hiring BIPOC employees, vendors and contractors. I will use Black-owned software and services whenever possible.

2.    I will be adding a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion statement to my website, future client contracts, terms and conditions, and Facebook group community guidelines by September 1, 2020. It will be strictly enforced.

3.    I will continue to use my platform to speak about social justice on an ongoing basis, especially as it pertains to anti-racism and oppression.

4.    I will continue to highlight BIPOC voices on our podcast. At least 50% of our podcast guests will be BIPOC. I have spoken about this commitment before but it is important for me to repeat it here, especially as the podcast moves forward in a new direction.

5.    I will be donating 20% of my coaching fees to organizations that work to support BIPOC communities and to dismantle white supremacy. I will also continue to pay reparations to Black women without exchange of goods or services.

6.    I will review all images across my platforms to ensure I am being inclusive as I build my community.

7.    On coaching calls and on the podcast, I will ask clients and guests to share their preferred pronouns to create an inclusive environment where one’s identity can be respected and honored.

8.    I will review our website copy, emails, and language moving forward to ensure that the way I am communicating is inclusive of people from all races, genders, and backgrounds, rather than being unconsciously biased or privileged. I will finish this review and make necessary changes by Sept 1, 2020.

I am also removing all instances of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) from my copy, as this appropriates a language that doesn’t belong to me. To that end, the name of this podcast will be changing. “Do the Damn Thing” is a phrase that originated in Black culture and therefore it is appropriation for me to use it. This was brought to my attention last year but I didn’t want to look at it or admit it. That choice was steeped in my white privilege. But as we know better, we do better and this is my attempt at getting it right. Moving forward, this podcast will be called “Fuel Your Fire” and I will go more into what that means and the new direction we are heading in on next week’s episode.

This list is not exhaustive – but it is a start. Building an anti-racist business, dismantling white supremacy and fighting for equality and justice is a marathon, not sprint. This is lifelong work.

And we’ve got a lot of work to do. So let’s get started!

Liz Heron