Black Lives Matter

Black lives matter. This statement deserves to be repeated until it is not needed—and unfortunately, it is still needed. Like millions of you across America and the world, we have been heart-broken and sickened by the latest examples of gut-wrenching brutality towards unarmed black Americans. How could we not be?

Clearly America is failing black Americans. While they make up 25 percent of COVID-19 deaths to date, black Americans represent only 13 percent of our total population. Black people are incarcerated at more than five times the rate of white people. And black women are more that twice as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.
FOXEN stands in solidarity with our black colleagues, friends, family, and communities of color. We know that confronting systemic racism requires far more than a pledge or issuing a statement that we are against racism. Clearly, we must take a more active role as anti-racists. We also recognize that this is only a start.

If you find yourself wondering how you can help, beyond or in addition to joining demonstrations around the country, we have a few organizations where you might learn more and consider making a donation:

• Black Lives Matter Global Network – fights for racial liberation and justice. www.Blacklivesmatter.com, #blm

• National Police Accountability Project, a nonprofit project of the National Lawyers Guild, that works to protect the civil rights in people’s interactions with law enforcement. www.nlg-npap.org

• The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund is America’s foremost legal organization on fighting for racial justice. www.naacpldf.org

• Southern Poverty Law Center, who’s motto is: fighting hate, teaching tolerance, seeking justice. www.splcenter.org, #splc

We’d like to end this with two quotes that have recently inspired us: from author Ijeoma Oluo (So, You Want to Talk About Race), and from our dear friend and amazing wine professional Paul Whitely.

"The beauty of anti-racism is that you don't have to pretend to be free of racism to be an anti-racist. Anti-racism is the commitment to fight racism wherever you find it, including in yourself. And it's the only way forward."- Ijeoma Oluo

"IN ITS STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE, A GRAPVINE’S ROOTS WILL GO DEEP AND WIDE TO FIND WATER. IN DOING SO, IT MAY PRODUCE BETTER FRUIT.AS A MATTER OF SURVIVAL, WE MUST GO DEEP TO ROOT OUT RACISM. IN DOING SO, WE MAY PRODUCE A BETTER SOCIETY. BE A PART OF THE STRUGGLE!"--PAUL WHITELY, #PAULTHEWINEFREAK