Dearest VIDA community,
Like many of you, I have spent the last several weeks searching for ways to do better. After witnessing the shocking killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, it was clear that I—that we—haven’t done nearly enough to build a world where black lives matter.
It took police killings to get us here, but there’s so much more to racism than police brutality. Black Americans face an entirely different social and economic reality than white Americans. They own fewer homes. They earn lower salaries. They have less wealth. They’re promoted less frequently. They’re being disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, in terms of infection as well as layoffs. They’re incarcerated at a dramatically higher rate. They even have lower life expectancies, a vivid illustration of the fatal impacts of systemic racism.
As a white person living in the whitest major city in America, it has been far too easy to ignore the unequal treatment Black people face in this country every day. As a business owner, it’s been too easy to bypass DEI goals during the hustle and bustle of our first year in business. But as a parent — and a human — when I look around at the profound inequalities at every level of our society, it’s crystal clear that this is not the world I want to pass on to my daughter.
This statement is one of thousands of statements from businesses about racism in America, and it comes later than many… That’s because to me, the power and impact of a statement is most effective when it is accompanied by an action plan that can make the words a reality. I wanted to have real, actionable goals to share with you, our members, first. So I’ve spent the past few weeks developing a personal anti-racism action plan, as well as an anti-racism action plan for VIDA.
I’d like to share what that looks like:
1. Read and learn. Over the past several weeks, I’ve been doing a lot of learning. I’m a reader, so I ordered a ton of books, including White Fragility, So You Want to Talk About Race, How to be an Anti-Racist, The Memo, Raising White Kids and several others. I also ordered several children’s books, including A Kid’s Book About Racism, The Youngest Marcher and Resist: 35 Profiles of Ordinary People Who Rose Up Against Tyranny and Injustice. They have been very eye opening to me, and they are all available for any members to read from the VIDA library.
2. Create a plan. VIDA is very white, and we have been since we opened. I knew this was something I wanted to do better on, but in the wild ride of starting up, it was lower down on the to-do list than it should have been. As of now, creating a more inclusive and diverse member community moves to the top of the list. To do that, we’ve created a board-led committee and will create a member-led committee to evaluate ways to make VIDA more appealing to communities of color. We’ll start by examining how other organizations have effectively implemented DEI initiatives, and work to adapt those insights to VIDA.
3. Diversify vendors and team members. When VIDA first opened, we relied on vendors and individuals I already knew – and it turns out that most of the people I know are white people. In the next six months, VIDA is going to bring in more diverse products and services from BIPOC businesses, including food and beverage brands, instructors, classes, teachers, and other services we provide. We know that diverse voices lend to a more inclusive and equitable community, and this will be honored as we expand into new locations and hire additional team members.
4. Stay accountable. We’re committed to being held accountable by members for our anti-racist work. To do that, we’re going to create a transparent dashboard to report on VIDA’s DEI journey, including quarterly reports on key performance indicators as determined by our board- and member-led committees.
5. Remove financial barriers. VIDA commits to offering 10 classic level member fellowships over the next year for individuals who want to be part of our community, but aren’t yet able to make the financial commitment.
6. Be patient, and be humble. As so many have said, this is a movement, not a moment. We know that racism in America has been a reality for hundreds of years. It’s a systemic issue, and we can’t fix it overnight. I am personally committed to making VIDA part of the solution, but I know that it’s going to take time, and that our efforts will be one drop in a vast ocean of systemic change this world needs. We pledge to stick with it, even when things move more slowly than anybody would like.
VIDA has such a vibrant and caring membership, and I know that we all seek to be part of a community that is equitable, inclusive and diverse. Thank you for supporting me as I commit to this important and lifelong work, and if you would like to be part of the member-led committee, have other ideas, or see other areas where VIDA can improve—please reach out to me directly.
In solidarity,
Melanie Marconi
PS: There are also many amazing Black-led organizations in our community — which you can support by making direct financial contributions, learning about their work, and exploring other ways to engage with them. A short list, shared by our friends at Business for a Better Portland, is included below:
Mercatus Directory of Black-Owned Businesses
Directory of Black-Owned Eateries
Portland African American Leadership Forum (PAALF)
Coalition of Communities of Color
The African Youth & Community Organization
Outside of Portland there are many organizations specifically by and for Black queer and trans people, who are facing enormous hurdles and escalating violence. They include:
The Marsha P. Johnson Institute
National Black Justice Coalition
Black Trans Protestors Emergency Fund
The Black LGBTQIA + Migrant Project