The desperate protests and events from recent days bring to light the ongoing systemic racism that Black people face every day. And this treatment does not stop at the border; it happens on Canadian soil.
Yesterday, we participated in #blackouttuesday, in solidarity with the rest of music industry, but we recognize that yesterday’s action cannot exist in isolation.
Across the company, with departments, with small groups, with a team of executives and Black employees, we engaged in constructive, frank, and vulnerable dialogue. We shared experiences, we listened, we learned, we strengthened our resolve to be better as a company, as employees, as human beings.
We denounce any police brutality against our black communities.
But we must do more.
We are challenging our employees to become better allies, hearing their stories, suggestions, and arming them with tools and resources to support our Black community.
We are looking inward to better understand how we can use our platforms for good and looking internally at our own implicit biases.
We are learning and we are listening, and we plan to use our platforms to continue to stand up and amplify the voices of our Black community members by showcasing and collaborating with Black creators, contributors, and employees.
We are creating a staff-lead equity program and task force to support our commitment to fostering an open, equal, and inclusive workplace for our existing and future Black employees, members, and business partners.
This is just the beginning.
Here are some ways we can all create change:
- Support Black-owned businesses and black entrepreneurs
- Write your MP and local representatives about unjust police brutality and racism happening in your area
- Donate to and support your local organizations:
Together we will continue to foster and build dialogue and create ways that we as an organization and a collection of brilliant minds can work together to bring about the changes that we need.