Our thoughts and actions following the murder of George Floyd
The time has passed to settle for acknowledging the inequality that exists in our society without taking action. The black community in particular continues to be traumatized with violence and murder, unprovoked and unsubstantiated, and even when capturing it on video, our institutions lack the ability to learn from it and reform in a way that substantially improves their function and role in society.
At Grow Sciences, we have a sincere appreciation for the challenges many communities and races face. We openly support all walks of life and aim to hire people with a variety of backgrounds because we believe diversity is a source of creativity, differentiation, empathy, and rich experiences for all involved.
We have spent the past week listening and watching the stories being told around the country with the same heartbreak and disbelief as many others. The value we can add is by taking action in the form of making contributions in time and money to those impacted by the most recent events.
Specifically, our company is committing to donate up to $10,000, divided across minority owned organizations and businesses that have been affected by rioting and vandalism in recent days. This began today with $1,000 to Du Nord, a black-owned business impacted by the looting and rioting in Minneapolis. Du Nord is accepting funds to both rebuild their own business and other minority-owned and family-owned businesses in their neighborhood.
If you care to participate with us and countless others, please visit the link in our bio to see the list of affected organizations that need support to get back on their feet. Alternatively, visit growsciences.com/inthegrow (our blog).
If you have a recommendation for ways to volunteer time in Phoenix or throughout Arizona, please comment below so we can explore that too.
Building a better society should not be an impossible endeavor, and it begins by acknowledging systemic racism and listening empathetically to the experiences affected communities live through every day. We should strive to boost our individual empathy, further enhanced by challenging our individual preconceptions and prejudices, and investing time to listen and learn more about our fellow citizens. Only then can we really enhance our civic duty and progress toward meaningful structural reforms at the organizations and institutions that drive the injustices we all know exist.
We understand that we will never fully understand. But we stand with you.
Here is a list (by no means comprehensive) of verified GoFundMe fundraisers to support black and minority owned businesses impacted by rioting in Minnesota and fundraisers for organizations supporting communities impacted by the riots.
Relief for Carniceria La Huazteca
Rebuild Cedar Child Care Center
Destruction of Family Run Business During Riots
Family Owned Business Affected By Riots and COVID
Gandhi Mahal Revival Fundraiser
Rebuild SLP Family Lake St. Joyeria Jelly
Small Family Business Looted in Minneapolis
We Lift Up – Minneapolis ReliefHelp Rebuild a Minneapolis Mental Health Clinic
Minority Owned Businesses Harmed By Looting in MSP
Additionally, you can find a list of local, black owned restaurants to support in Arizona here:
Black Owned Arizona Restaurants, courtesy of the Arizona Republic
I am completely astonished at how amazing and “close to home” grow scienses is. You guys have stepped up and acknowledged something that many others are taking a blind eye to. Just know you guys have had a dedicated customer since the time I had a unsealed batch and you were quick to fix it! But this is a whole different level. I support everything you guys stand for and shall be looking into seeking employment with this company this making great strides in our community!