Dear Black People,
SUBJECT: Corporations that pledged support to the Black Community after George Floyd’s Death.
Dear Black People,
You are being played. I strongly believe that the corporations that have pledged support to the black community have put up a smokescreen to distract you and calm you down temporarily.
PART 1: HOW I DISCOVERED THAT WE WERE BEING PLAYED
I came to that conclusion after I set up this website. You can see on the about page that I clearly explained the reason for this website and what it would accomplish. Link: https://hireblackremote.com/About.html As some of you may know, Blacks are woefully underrepresented in the tech sector. Before launching the full version of this job board, I set up a landing page and informational site to provide basic information about what the site would be about. I reached out to every corporation that pledged to support the black community and increase the hiring of black staff. I was very transparent, and each email included a link back to my LinkedIn profile. I asked if I could put their currently available remote positions on this website for free during our launch week.
How many tech companies that promised more jobs for Black people replied to my email or LinkedIn message?
Zero.
In case you are wondering which companies I reached out to, you can easily google which companies pledged support after George Floyd’s death. I reached out to every major tech company that pledged their support to the Black community. If you’re wondering, do I mean that one? Yes, I mean that one.
One company agreed to be listed on this website, a publishing company in Texas called Scribe. They also asked if there was anything they could do to help me spread the word. They were not on my target list for tech jobs. I only added them because I had applied for a job with them in the past and had their email address. Also, it is worth noting that this company never made any big promises to help the Black community, but when called upon to do so, they did it readily and willingly. However, the response from the companies that did promise to increase jobs for Black People was zero. Integrity, in my opinion, has more to do with what you actually do even when no one is looking than what you publicly brag about doing.
PART 2: THE REAL REASON BIG CORPORATIONS PLEDGED THEIR SUPPORT TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY AFTER GEORGE FLOYD’S DEATH
So, why did these companies pledge so much support after George Floyd’s death? This is my theory of what happened when they came running with offers of jobs and support. Everybody knows that years ago, when the black people of Alabama were being mistreated on buses, they decided to boycott. After 381 days, the bus company nearly went bankrupt. When these companies came running with offers of jobs to placate Black people, this was what they were trying to avoid. They were thinking about money. They were trying to keep their businesses from going bankrupt. Some may have been trying to keep their businesses from being burned like the police station in Minneapolis. The conclusion that I have come to is that these corporations have very little concern for Black people. They care about their bottom line and their profits. They care about the same things they cared about the day before George Floyd’s death.
PART 3: WHY THE OFFER OF JOBS, HELP AND SUPPORT WILL NOT AFFECT YOU
Can you think of a good answer to this question? Why would you turn down a free job advertisement geared towards Black people when you pledged to hire more Black people? Does that make any sense? The second thing about this pledge of support to Black businesses and Black staff that seems a little fishy is where the money is going. Many of these organizations have chosen to donate the money to Black organizations where you and I will never benefit from one dime of that money. It’s very convenient to donate the funds to Organization X when Black Joe down the street just needs a job. Black Joe down the road wants to learn to code because that’s where the future is headed.
PART 4: WHAT TO DO NOW THAT YOU KNOW THE TRUTH
Now that we know that the pledge of support is a scam, what can you do? My advice is simple.
Stop investing your time and dollars in people who will not invest in you.
Ask yourself the following question: What could you go for 381 days without buying?
Could you go for 381 days without your favorite App?
Could you go for 381 days without buying any new electronics?
Could you go for 381 days without allowing certain companies to use you for building their advertising empire?
Could you go for 381 days without buying from a particular online store?
What would you be willing to do for the next 381 days if it would have the same impact as the Alabama Bus Boycott?
What would you be willing to do for the next 381 days if it sent a clear message that Black people are not idiots, and we know when we’re being scammed?
I began my 381 days of avoiding, boycotting, and refusing to spend money with 3 corporations on August 1st. 2020. I will not invest in people who will not invest in me.
This article was originally published on September 18th, 2020.
