WePledge 1% February Cause of the Month: 3 Ways to Support Racial Equity

WePledge 1% February Cause of the Month: 3 Ways to Support Racial Equity

1% makes a world of difference. In honor of U.S. Black History Month, we’re reflecting, educating ourselves and advocating for social and racial justice.

Hello, WePledge 1% members and Twilio community!

To help you live your 1% pledge, we provide monthly inspiration and tips for doing good in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This month the UN celebrates World Day of Social Justice on February 20 and the U.S. celebrates Black History Month, a time to remember and honor the rich and vibrant stories of Black people while acknowledging the pain and challenges the Black community continues to face. 

In the words of Barack Obama, Black History Month is about the “lived, shared experience of all African Americans, high and low, famous and obscure, and how those experiences have shaped and challenged and ultimately strengthened America. It’s about taking an unvarnished look at the past so we can create a better future. It’s a reminder of where we as a country have been so that we know where we need to go." (The White House Press) 

Black History Month calls on us to recognize the importance of amplifying historically marginalized voices, both in the United States and globally. The path to racial equity requires listening to and learning from Black voices and committing to building an equitable and just future.

How can you help?

Supporting our community looks different during a pandemic — we can’t volunteer in person and new financial strains can mean less to donate — so we’re redefining the traditional sense of what it means to give back. Things like acts of kindness, using personal time to educate ourselves on social issues, or creating/changing habits to improve the world around us are impactful ways we can support others. We all have the power to enact positive change with our time and resources and there are many ways to take action during Black History Month. 

Here’s how Twilions are doing it and we hope you’ll join us:

• Listen to a podcast about Black experiences (source: Benevity) 
• • 1619 (New York Times)
  • About Race
  • Code Switch (NPR)
  • Intersectionality Matters! hosted by Kimberlé Crenshaw
  • Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast
  • Pod For The Cause (from The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights)
  • Pod Save the People (Crooked Media)
  • Seeing White
  • The Combahee River Collective Statement
• Give to the Black History Month fundraising campaign led by the Black Twilions employee resource group by donating to Blessings in a Backpack, an organization mobilizing communities, individuals, and resources to provide food on the weekends to elementary school children who might otherwise go hungry. 
• Support campaigns on Color of Change, by signing petitions from organizations who are challenging systems that hold Black communities back and championing solutions that move us all forward.

Learn more about Twilio’s commitment to a culture of diversity and inclusivity and see the 9 Black inventors who have made our work at Twilio possible. 

In case you missed it, check out our January WePledge 1% blog dedicated to advancing human rights.

Take the Pledge Today

Are you ready to join the movement?  Visit wepledge.org to sign up and learn more. Twilio open-sourced our WePledge 1% program to empower individuals and company employees to build positive change globally by committing 1% of their personal time or resources to do good.