The Black squares. The colorful words. The links to additional resources. The pledges. But where were you last week? And where will you be in the weeks and years to come? Our existence is not something to be leveraged in a press release to bolster likes and brand loyalty only to return to privilege surreptitiously in the comfort of your heavily insured businesses and homes. We are Black every moment of every second of every minute of every day of every year, and we’re damn proud to be. But we’re terrified of losing our Black lives every day, too, simply for being, well, Black.

We’re in a fight for our lives battling a pandemic that has claimed the breath and bodies of Black men and women, boys and girls at an unconscionable rate. No mask, glove, or chemical can rid us of this virus which has infiltrated every aspect of our being. Oh! And then there’s also COVID-19… Police and white supremacists have been hunting and killing us for over 400 years, and the world is finally taking notice. We are actively involved in the biggest Civil Rights demonstration in the history of these United States of America— 50 states, and 18+ countries, and counting.

They’d have us believe we’re doomed to an inescapably grizzly fate, but then the spark in each of you ignites hope. You are an inspiration to us as a brand and we vow to fight this fight, arm-in-arm, until every Black man, woman, and child is respected and treated with equality, equitability, and respect.

Whether fighting on the front lines, in the background, in the streets, on your knees, from lofty places, or low, we see you. We support you. And we salute you. Some scourges are only eliminated with fire. When faced with systemic, deeply entrenched, rooted, pervasive, thriving racism and white supremacy, we say light it all on fire until it burns to ash.