Black Lives Matter Statement of Solidarity

 

The Golden Poppy has made the collective commitment to taking certain steps that will begin to address systemic racism and inequity through the reach of our business and allow us to be better allies to people of color in our community.  We believe these are essential steps that all white businesses and white individuals should be reflecting upon and implementing in their daily actions and operations at this critical time.

We as a business want to acknowledge the reality of white supremacy and racism embedded in our society and the brutality that black people and other communities of color have endured as a result of it.  We choose to stand in solidarity with people of color by refusing to remain silent.

We recognize the many consequences of racial discrimination and inequity- not least of which are the wealth gap, and lack of access to supportive health care.  As a business focused on holistic health, we will strive to be an accessible resource for people of color on the Front Range and to actively support organizations that advance the health of people of color.

We are committed to engaging in an ongoing dialogue with people of color in our community and accepting their critical feedback about how we can best support them through our work.  We aspire to follow the lead of BIPOC activists and educators as we learn how to better serve those who have been systematically disenfranchised and harmed by the culture of white privilege and supremacy.

We believe that it is essential for white people to do the difficult work of dismantling racism amongst themselves.  This can mean having difficult conversations with friends, neighbors, and customers. We hope that our community members will choose to see this as an opportunity to grow together in new and meaningful ways, as we collectively strive to make Fort Collins and the world a safer and more just home for its black and brown residents.

We are firmly committed to being anti-racist and welcome any and all input from people of color in our community on ways that we can best support them.

Thank you for taking the time to not only read this, but to actively participate in this work. We look forward to seeing you soon. ~The Apothecary Staff