Springfield Business Journal_2020-06-15

SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL · 45 JUNE 15-21, 2020 wringing their hands,” said Pratt. “The [rac- ism] pandemic has been with us for 400 years. … Everyone has a role in addressing it and hopefully working to mitigate it.” First steps Some business owners in the community have taken what they call their first step in sup- port of the movement for social justice. Michelle Billionis of The Coffee Ethic said she kept her coffeehouse on the square open during the June 6 pro- tests and offered water to par- ticipants. She said she’d been struggling to figure out what to do to show her company’s sup- port for equality and inclusion. “The first thing I did was nothing, and to be quiet and process everything. I try not to let social media guide our actions,” said Bil- lionis. “I was upset, disappointed and kind of ashamed. So, it was a lot of processing, and one of my fears was that by not saying any- thing through social media that it would be perceived as not caring and not being part of the solution. “As a business owner, you’re worried you’re going to say it wrong.” She said the company’s next steps will in- clude donating to the local NAACP chapter proceeds from the fourth-annual Tumble for SGF event June 18. Later this month, Billio- nis said she’s requiring all employees to go through an equality and inclusion training program, which she said also will help her formulate a company statement and policy. She said Heather Freeman, a longtime di- versity and equity activist and owner of The Decor Fix, is lead- ing the charge in developing curriculum with two other un- disclosed educators for cultural consciousness and anti-racism training. Freeman said in an email that the trio is planning to offer the training to small busi- nesses later this summer. Billionis said she’s encourag- ing herself and her employees to be better at creating relationships with those who look different than themselves. “It’s their turn to have the stage, and it’s important for us to sit back and listen and learn,” she said. Summer Trottier said she’s been using her artistic talents to take a stand through her company, Culture Flock. The screen- printing business has designed T-shirts that say “Find your voice and speak up! Silence kills.” They were released the first week of June, and 25% of proceeds are going to the local NAACP chapter. Trottier said $310 had been raised by June 11. “We know change starts locally. The more resources available to them, the more good they can do in town,” Trottier said. Trottier’s applied to join the NAACP and she’s actively pursuing partnerships with black-owned businesses to sell their prod- ucts at her store. Culture Flock already car- ries merchandise from mostly women- and minority-owned businesses. “We want to make sure we’re amplifying those voices,” she said. “If you have a platform, it’s impor- tant to use your voice for good things.” What’s next? According to an SBJ.net poll taken June 5-11, 44% of respondents thought their com- pany was doing enough to support diversity, inclusion and social justice. Nearly a quarter of the 260 respondents said their businesses weren’t doing enough, while a third answered that it isn’t the role of businesses. Pratt, who’s also co-founder of networking group Minorities in Business and has been engaged in civil rights activism since the age of 15, said business leaders need to be en- gaged and intentional about creating change. “We need to make sure our organizations are culturally conscious. They have to be aware, knowledgeable and acquire skills to al- low them to negotiate consciously in a multi- cultural and global economy,” said Pratt. “We need to look at our policies and procedures and practices that prohibit participation.” He said having a diverse workforce can provide different ideas, perspectives and con- versations that otherwise wouldn’t be heard. “It’s incumbent upon all of us to promote a work environment, business environment that values what everyone brings to the ta- ble,” he said. But in a predominately white commu- nity, there’s an education piece that needs to be bolstered, said Robinson. Of Spring- field’s population, 88.4% of citizens are white and 4.4% identify as black, accord- ing to 2019 U.S. Census Bureau data. The remainder comprises those who identify as Asian, Hispanic or more than one race. “What I do know is that silence is vio- lence,” said Robinson. “It doesn’t propel us forward. It’s not supporting black peo- ple and isn’t pushing white folks to ac- countability. I think it’s something in the community we don’t know. We talk about education, but what does that look like? Ev- eryone’s grappling with, how do we really do this, and how do we make it work?” It’s a question business leaders have been asking over the last few weeks, said Karen Shannon, vice president of business consult- ing at Ollis/Akers/Arney. Shannon said the firm has received dozens of requests from business owners to revisit their internal policies, identify avenues for diversity edu- cation and what their stance will look like. “For every organization, your call to action will be different. That’s for every organiza- tion to determine themselves,” she said. “Ev- eryone’s trying to figure out that first next step. … There’s a real desire to be thoughtful and intentional in their next steps.” Minorities in Business staff member Justyn Pippins suggested business leaders start the conversation about equality among their teams and begin looking for diverse job candidates. He said being proactive, such as starting implicit bias training or creating a position that focuses on workplace diversity, can bring awareness to internal issues. “Start ... those tough conversations, be- cause then it’s not as uncomfortable moving forward,” he said. “That’s why a lot of people don’t talk about things – its uncomfortable.” creekside.elfindaleretirement.com 1601 South Fort, Springfield, MO 65807 | (417) 831-3828 Active, Independent Living! “Staff knows & calls each resident by his or her first name.” —Verified Review Gracious Living • Exciting Choices • Affordable Pricing Respond: Businesses donate to NAACP Continued from page 1 FROM THE COVER J e f f S e i f r i e d He’s leading the effort to advocate for Branson area businesses, grow tourism, boost economy and attract investors. JUNE 16 | 8-9 A.M. Interview on Facebook Live Facebook.com/SBJnet LIVE INTERVIEW WITH EDITOR ERIC OLSON SPONSORED BY Wes Pratt : Organizations need to become culturally conscious.