Waking up

June 9, 2020 / 26:27/E112

Resisting oppression and resisting being an oppressor

Structural racism affects every part of the economic system. It affects bootstrappers too! It defines:

Who we hire
Who we invest in
Who we promote
Who we chat with
Who sees our numbers
Who we invite to speak
Who gets access to our platform

"It's not just about being oppressed or being an oppressor, it's about resisting oppression and resisting being an oppressor; being an ally, being an advocate for social justice." – Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum (clip)

Right now, in cities across America, people are protesting systemic violence and oppression against Black people.

We (Jon and Justin) are waking up to how complicit we are in the system. We're seeing our privilege. We're humbled and motivated by the words of Dr. Erin Thomas:

"You can directly impact the extent to which your organization counters historical inequity, inequality & injustice."

The bootstrapping, SaaS, and startup ecosystems need to wrestle with these issues.

"How can you help? By working to dismantle a system of racism from which you reap the benefits. If you are not working to do that then you don’t actually want to help." – Kristina Daniels