black lives matter. period.
So much has been said on this topic. So much is yet to be said still. Where does one begin with such a loaded, layered, heartbreaking subject?
First, we want to take a moment and acknowledge our (majority) white privilege. We say majority because Do Good Co. is an organization primarily made of white women. We have one board member who is a Black man. We have one board member who is an Asian woman.
Before going into any sort of question posing, we want to take a moment and humble ourselves by acknowledging we will never truly know what it's like to be black. We will never truly know your fears, your struggles, your experiences.
We want to apologize that, no matter how hard we try or how badly we want to, it is not a possibility to put ourselves in your shoes and walk a mile. We cannot fully know that which we cannot experience.
From the depths of our souls, we apologize. We see you. We raise our hands with yours. Our hearts break with yours. Our tears fall with yours.
-
Rather than taking up more space to express the outrage that we, too, feel, we want to instead direct our energy towards holding space for our Black friends and their experiences without placing the expectation on them to educate us.
Rather than attempting to communicate an experience that we are unlikely to ever know, we want to direct the spotlight to individuals, organizations, and businesses who are enacting positive change and engaging in educational conversations.
Rather than relying on our Black friends and neighbors to repeatedly share their experience and truth with us, we want to find ways to educate and inform ourselves that do not include draining them mentally and emotionally.
Rather than simply sharing our emotional reaction to yet another tragic murder at the hands of corrupt police officers, we want to share ways that we can all truly create lasting change.
Emotions are valid and necessary and part of the human experience, but to create lasting impact means to continue acting once the fervor quiets down again, as it unfortunately and inevitably does between tragedies.
-
Do Good Co. was born from the desire to advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves, regardless of why that may be. Our charity partners advocate for animals, who do not have a voice, and children, who do not have a voice, but our hearts extend far beyond our official partnerships.
Do Good Co. exists solely to do good for and by others, which means we equally serve people from all different backgrounds and races.
If you feel silenced, we are here to hand you the megaphone.
If you feel put down, we are here to lift you up.
If you feel judged, we are here to advocate for you.
We cannot promise perfection because we are constantly learning, but we can promise that we will always try to do better than the day before. We can promise that we will always do right by you.
Together, we will dismantle white supremacy. Together, we will end racism.
To the Black community: we stand with you. We stand beside you. We lift you up.
Please note: the following list is constantly growing and evolving as we discover more resources that need to be shared. If you're looking for somewhere to start or someone to support, please feel welcome to browse below. If you know of someone/something that you feel should be on this list, please comment on this blog post and we will amend it accordingly.
-
Resources
-
Celebrate Black Voices
-
Support Black-Owned Businesses
FULL DIRECTORY OF KC BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES
Tactile Matter by Kenesha Sneed
Brownie Points by Rinny Perkins
-
SAY THEIR NAMES | REST IN POWER
George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. Tamir Rice. Trayvon Martin. Oscar Grant. Eric Garner. Philando Castile. Samuel Dubose. Sandra Bland. Walter Scott. Terrence Crutcher. Michael Lorenzo Dean. Eric Reason. Christopher McCorvey. Steven Day. Christopher Whitfield. Atatiana Jefferson. Maurice Holly. Jordan Michael Griffin. Nicholas Walker. Bennie Branch. Byron Williams. Arthur Walton Jr. Channara Tom Pheap. Patricia Spivey. Stephan Murray. Ryan Twyman. Dominique Clayton. Isaiah Lewis. Kevin Leroy Beasley Jr. Julius Graves. Marcus McVae. Marzues Scott. Bishar Hassan. Kevin Bruce Mason. Mario Clark. Jimmy Atchison. D'ettrick Griffin. George Robinson. Andre Horton. Jesse Jesus Quinton. Mahlon Edward Summerrour. Charles D. Roundtree Jr. Chinedu Valentine Okobi. Antone G. Black Jr. Darell Richards. Botham Shem Jean. James Leatherwood. Joshua Wayne Harvey. Christopher Alexander Okamato. Cynthia Fields. Rashaun Washington. Anthony Marcell Green. Antwon Michael Rose II. Robert Lawrence White. Marcus-David L. Peters. Terrance Carlton. Juan Markee Jones. Danny Ray Thomas. Stephon Clark. Trey Ta'Quan Pringle Sr. Ronell Foster. Corey Mobley. Arthur McAfee Jr. Geraldine Townsend. Warren Ragudo. Thomas Yatsko. Dennis Plowden. Jean Pedro Pierre. Keita O'Neil. Lawrence Hawkins. Calvin Toney. Dewboy Lister. Armando Frank. Stephen Gayle. William Matthew Holmes. Anthony Antonio Ford. Charles David Robinson. Devin Howell. Herbert Gilbert. Thomas Williams. Aries Clark. Antonio Garcia Jr. Brian Easley. Euree Lee Martin. DeJuan Guillory. Aaron Bailey. Joshua Terrell Crawford. Marc Brandon Davis. Adam Trammell. Jimmie Montel Sanders. DeRicco Devante Holdon. Mark Roshawn Adkins. Tashii S. Brown. Jordan Edwards. Roderick Ronall Taylor. Kenneth Johnson. Christopher Wade. Alteria Woods. Sherida Davis. Lorenzo Antoine Cruz. Chance David Baker. Raynard Burton. Quanice Derrick Hayes. Chad Robertson. Jerome Keith Allen. Nana Adomako. Marquez Warren. Deaundre Phillips. Sabin Marcus Jones. Darrian M. Barnhill. JR Williams. Muhammad Abdul Muhaymin. Jamal Robbins. Marlon Lewis. Ritchie Lee Harbison. Lamont Perry. Roy Lee Richards. Alfred Olango. Tawon Boyd. Terrence Crutcher. Tyre King. Levonia Riggins. Kendrick Brown. Donnell Thompson Jr. Dalvin Hollins. Delrawn Small. Sherman Evans. Deravis Rogers. Antwun Shumpert. Ollie Lee Brooks. Michael Eugene Wilson Jr. Vernell Bing Jr. Jessica Williams. Arthur R. Williams Jr. Lionel Gibson. Charlin Charles. Kevin Hicks. Dominique Silva. Robert Dentmond. India M. Beaty. Torrey Lamar Robinson. Peter William Gaines. Arteair Porter. Kionte DeShaun Spencer. Christopher J. Davis. Thomas Lane. Paul Gaston. Calin Devante Roquemore. Dyzhawn L. Perkins. David Joseph. Wendell Celestine Jr. Antronie Scott. Peter John. Keith Childress. Bettie Jones. Kevin Matthews. Michael Noel. Leroy Browning. Miguel Espinal. Nathaniel Pickett. Cornelius Brown. Tiara Thomas. Richard Perkins. Jamar Clark. Alonzo Smith. Anthony Ashford. Dominic Hutchinson. Lamontez Jones. Rayshaun Cole. Paterson Brown Jr. Junior Prosper. Keith Harrison McLeod. Wayne Wheeler. Lavante Biggs. India Kager. James Carney III. Felix Kumi. Mansur Bell-Bey. Asshams Manley. Christian Taylor. Troy Robinson. Brian Day. Samuel Dubose. Darrius Stewart. Albert Davis. Salvado Ellswood. George Mann. Freddie Blue. Johnathon Sanders. Victo Lorosa III. Spencer McCain. Kevin Bajoie. Kris Jacksons. Kevin Higgenbotham. Ross Anthony. Richard Gregory Davis. D'Angelo Reyes Stallworth. Dajuan Graham. Brendon Glenn. Reginald L. Moore Sr. David Felix. William Chapman. Norman Cooper. Darell Lawrence Brown. Walter Scott. Eric Courtney Harris. Donald Ivy. Phillip White. Jason Moland. Denzel Brown. Brandon Jones. Askari Roberts. Bobby Gross. Terrance Moxley. Anthony Hill. Tony Terrell Robinson. Naeschylus Vinzant. Charly Leundeu Keunang. DeOntre L. Dorsey. Thomas Allen Jr. Calvon A. Reid. Terry Price. Lavall Hall. Natasha Mckenna. Jeremy Lett. Tiano Meton. Artago Damon Howard. Andre Larone Murphy Jr. Leslie Sapp II. Brian Pickett. Jerome C. Reid. David Andre Scott. Dennis Grisby. Rumain Brisbon. Eric Ricks. Tamir E. Rise. Akai Gurley. Keara Crowder. Tanisha N. Anderson. Raphael Thomas. John T. Wilson III. Kaldrick Donald. Michael Ricardo Minor. Adam Ardett Madison. VonDerrit D. Myers Jr. Iretha Lilly. Balantine Mbegbu. Lashano J. Gilbert. Marlon S. Woodstock. Oliver Jarred Gregoire. Eugene Williams. Cameron Tillman. Ricky Deangelo Hinkle. Darrian Nathaniel Hunt. Cortez Washington. Vemicia Woodard. Arvel Douglas Williams. Levon Leroy Love. Corey Lavert Tanner. Dante Parker. Ezell Ford. Dustin Keith Glover. Michael Brown. John H. Crawford III. Jeremey Lake. Cedric Stanley. Jacorey Calhoun. Briatay McDuffie. Eric Garner. Charles K. Goodridge. Christopher Jones. Jerry Brown. Lavon King. Juan May. Emanuel Jean-Baptiste. Mark Anthony Blocker. Montez Dewayne Hambric. Tommy J. Yancy Jr. Johnathon Lee Asuzu. Howard Wallace Bowe Jr. Dominique Franklin Jr. George V. King. Justin Griffin. Tyrone Davis. Gregory Lewis Towns Jr. Zikarious Flint. DeAndrew Lloyd Starks. Willie Neall Harden. Hallis Kinsey. Floyd Gene Hodge. Treon Johnson. Yvette Smith. Ernest Satterwhite. Anthony Bartley. Willie James Sams. Anesson Joseph. Jordon Baker. Jeffrey Ragland. Kendall Alexander. Cimarron Lamar Lamb. Ervin Edwards. Willie James Williams. Abdul Kamal. William Alfred Harvey III. William Taylor. Brandon Devone Smith. Reginald Williams Jr. Jack Lamar Roberson. Elijah Glay. Alexander Jamar Marion. Johnathon A. Ferrell. Marlon Horton. Ronnie Ledesma Jr. Montrell Moss. Jeffery B. Lilly Jr. Jermaine McBean. Allen Desdunes. Ryan L. Stokes. Larry Eugene Jackson Jr. Dainell Simmons. Deomain Hayman. Tyrone West. Daryll Blair. Antonio Johnson. George Harvey. Micah Anthony Key. Lana Morris. Keoshia L. Hill. Bill Jackson. Julian Dawkins. Terry Laffitte. Jermaine Darden. Marlon Brown. Kendra Diggs. Deion Fludd. Clifton Armstrong. Fred Bradford Jr. Craig Demps. Dason Peters. Dylan Samuel-Peters. Russell Lydell Smith. Willie Lee Bingham Jr. Clinton Roebexar Allen. Charles A. Baker Jr. Anthony Dwayne Harris. Donovan Thomas. Jayvis Benjamin. Quintine Barksdale. Cedrick Chatman. Darrell Banks. Xavier Tyrell Johnson. Yolanda Thomas. Agatha Felix. Sandra Bland.