DONATIONS
We have been donating as much as possible to organizations seeking racial equity and fighting against racism, including ABEP Pimento Relieve fund – funding the rebuilding of minority-owned businesses and working to dismantle predatory financial practices in Minneapolis, Northside Support Fund – rebuilding impacted North Minneapolis businesses, Legal Rights Center –  providing criminal defense and restorative justice services to people in need, Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia – working for affordable housing and structural changes to housing in Minneapolis, the Southern Poverty Law Center – combating hate, intolerance, and discrimination through education and litigation since 1971, Black Table Arts – gathering black communities through art toward better futures, Juxtaposition Arts – non-profit youth art and design education center, gallery, retail shop, and artists’ studio space in North Minneapolis since 1995, and Unicorn Riot – a group working to document protests and police brutality against protesters and the press. We are committed to continuing to give money monthly for long-term community building.

REDIRECTING CAPITAL
We are actively re-examining our vendor relationships, looking at opportunities to source supplies from minority-owned businesses and businesses that support social justice, examining our banking and insurance relationships to make sure we work with organizations that are dedicated to stamping out rampant discrimantion and providing equal access to capital to POC entrepreneurs.

As part of the #StopHateforProfit initiative, we have halted all advertising with Facebook and Instagram.

COMMITTED TO FAIR COMPENSATION
We are committed to providing a living wage to anyone working at Verdant now and going forward, and working to continue our stakeholder over shareholder model where everyone in the supply chain benefits equally.

ADDING OUR VOICE
We are using our leverage as a business to write to our government representatives to support antiracist work and to protest against any racist policies in which they have been active or complicit.

LISTENING AND LEARNING
Finally, we are committed to continuing to listen and learn, knowing that we have a long ways to go. The work to build equitable communities in the tea growing regions we represent has been a long fight that requires commitment and adaptation. The work to build stronger antiracist communities back home will require the same long term commitment and willingness to listen.