Promoting Racial Justice on Your Website

Promoting Racial Justice on Your Website

by Maya Keitt

Amidst the killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, many companies and organizations have began voicing concern over racial injustice. For any business, company or brand, it is pressingly important to know that we must care for everyone during their times of distress. While the outcry of solidarity has been vibrant, we must continue to show up to ensure that this does not become a faded moment but instead a chance for real change. As a leader or brand with an audience, you should create a safe space and not stay silent. With employees or members of your audience who identify as POC, you must show your company values and let them know that you are there for them and care about their struggles. Taking action is the first step! While many small businesses and brands cannot provide huge financial support similar to the large corporations, we can still play our role in the capacity we do have — by showing support on your website, social media and throughout your community.

Here are a few ways you can promote racial justice on your website.

Encourage your audience to sign petitions by sharing them on your website and social media: There are loads of petitions that are focused towards several types of issues. Petitions are effective and promote real change within our government system and push those in charge to take action. There can never be enough signatures, and allowing your audience to have access to these on your site not only can be impactful but shows your allyship to the communities who are hurting. 

Here is a list of awesome petitions and ways to take action that you can share:

• Black Lives Matter petitions

• Issues in the World - list of petitions

• Justice for Breonna Taylor

• Get Informed

• Yemen Crisis Petition

• Junk Terror Bill petition

• Stop Police Brutality in India

• Justice For Kadijah M. Saccoh

Provide anti-racism resources to help your audience become educated: Becoming educated on racial injustice and other worldly issues is a form of showing your support to the inflicted communities. This is particularly important for those who are not victims of said actions because you can truly begin to understand the outrage and anger that those facing injustice feel. 

These resources here are a great start to begin learning and understanding the history of racial injustice and systematic racism that have birthed the issues we are dealing with today. 

• A Detailed List of Anti-Racism Resources (Medium)

• Anti-Racism Resources (Good Good Good)

Openly donate to charities and provide links to them on your social medias and website: Millions are currently mobilized in the fight against racial inequality. These actions are taking place in many forms, including donating. Sharing a list of donor resources on your website is not only a way to support the recipients of the donations, but also to the ones in your audience who wish to assist financially. 

Ben & Jerry’s has done this flawlessly. They have a page on their website dedicated to 10 charities that need money now to achieve building racial equality.

Edit your language to be more inclusive: Take a moment to look at your blog posts and the current dialect you have within your online community. Your online audience is made up of many different types of people. We are not all the same! Using inclusive language is important to make everyone feel understood, included and welcomed. Some great tips to begin:

• Avoid slang or jargon when writing and speaking to your audience or team. 

• Do not use analogies, as they are not always universally understood. They only work if the speaker saying the analogy has the same cultural reference as the listener. This isn’t always true so it is good to avoid this all together.

• Use the word “They” instead of “He” or “She”. Gender-neutral pronouns create a safe space and can avoid the risk of anyone feeling offended.

Ensure photos represent diversity: Make sure your company website and visuals are a true representation of the real world. This not only allows your employees or audience to feel included but let’s potential clients who are on your website know that you have a diverse group of people behind you that looks like them!

Here is a great resource of stock image sites specifically highlighting people of color. 

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”

DESMOND TUTU