As a brand with inclusivity at its heart, we stand with the Black Lives Matter movement and condemn racism in its entirety.

We pride ourselves on bringing joy and positivity to your day, however as a brand we cannot stay silent on this issue. Our content is usually on the light-hearted side of life but however difficult this conversation, we want to engage with this subject and be on the right side of the discussion. We recognise that as a brand, we can do more, learn more and be better – and we do not want to simply be passive.

We don’t have all the answers but wanted to share some resources from others that we have found useful while discussing this topic with our colleagues, in the hope that many of our customers might find them useful too.

Read – Education through reading

 

A handful of book recommendations to add to your reading list.

I Am Not Your Baby Mother by Candice Brathwaite – a book about diversity in motherhood

Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge – a powerful look at institutionalised racism

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams – a critically acclaimed debut novel tackling themes including race, class and mental health

 

Add Your Voice – Sign a Petition

 

If you’re feeling like your voice won’t make a difference, you’re wrong! Signing a petition is a quick way to join yours with many others, together making it more likely that the cause receives the attention it deserves.

Sadly, these petitions barely scratch the surface but as they are some of the most active currently, adding your voice will create immediate impact.

You can read more about each individual case and sign using the links below. Please note that some of these petitions require a US Zip Code – we’d recommend just using a general one like New York City, 10001.

Justice for George Floyd, change.org

#JusticeForFloyd, Color of Change

Justice for Breonna Taylor, change.org

#JusticeForBre, Color of Change

Justice for Belly Mujinga, change.org

Justice for Ahmuad Arbery, change.org

Justice for Tony McDade, change.org

Demand Justice for Tony McDade, The Action Network

Justice for Regis Korchinski-Paquet, change.org

There are many more petitions listed on the Black Lives Matter petition link page.

 

Donate - if you can

 

Please note that if you are signing petitions on change.org, any donations requested this site go to the website rather than the cause you’re signing for. The pages we’ve listed below ask for donations that go direct to the cause.

As a brand, we have donated to Color of Change. Color of Change is one of the largest organisations tackling racial injustice. They lead campaigns that hold corporate and political leaders accountable and commission research on systemic inequality and push for solutions to transform racial prejudice.

 

Further prominent causes to donate to at this time, if you are able to;

The Black Lives Matter campaign fund

George Floyd’s Memorial Fund (which assists with all aspects of supporting his family and their fight for justice, following his tragic passing), GoFundMe

Justice for Breonna Taylor Fund, GoFundMe

Campaign Zero (a reform campaign fund to provide solutions against police brutality)

NAACP - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (a civil rights organisation campaigning for equal rights without discrimination)

WFPC - Women For Political Change (investing in political change for women, trans & non-binary individuals in Minnesota)

Show Racism The Red Card (the UK’s leading anti-racism educational charity)

Again, we also recommend looking through the many links on the Black Lives Matter online donation card.

This includes further funds for victims, bail funds for protesters by state, to black-owned businesses and other organisations fighting for racial equality.

 

Continuing the Conversation

 

As well as taking the time to support and further your education on anti-racism and the Black Lives Matter movement, continuing the conversation in real life situations is part of the ongoing change needed to tackle racial prejudices, even where this can be difficult.

At Joanie, we have opened the conversation of tackling racial prejudice and are committed to doing more, as a brand and the individuals behind it – to educate ourselves further and to form the actions needed to make changes offline as well as online.

As a team, we have begun the process of addressing all areas of our company which we can build upon and improve. We have always championed diversity but acknowledge that there is more we can do. From the models we use and influencers we work with, to our supply chain and recruitment, we know that change won’t happen instantly, but we are committed to putting in the work to being more conscious of the inclusivity we promote.

BLM How to Help - Smile at Style Illustration

*The illustration used in this post is by Laura Frances Heitzman, a.k.a. Smile at Style Illustration.

You can follow Laura on Instagram or visit her online shop for more illustration work.