Springfield Business Journal_2020-06-15

To our community, our partners and our friends, Springfield Business Journal stands in solidarity with those saddened and angered by the unjust killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and the countless other lives and acts of racially motivated violence these incidents echo. We owe it to ourselves and our Springfield community to say directly that our company condemns all forms of racism. We also know that merely saying it will never be enough. We must do better. Springfield Business Journal is in a unique position of privilege and influence to use our platform to highlight diversity in more than just a single annual issue. SBJ is committed to working with community organizations like Minorities in Business and the Springfield chapter of the NAACP to ensure that we are telling the relevant business stories of all people in this community. We promise to be intentional about showing diversity in our publication and in our events by featuring black business owners and leaders in our coverage and by actively promoting the nomination of minority-owned businesses and leaders for our events and a representation of minority judges for our selection committees. Springfield Business Journal will serve as a resource of information to our readers and area businesseswhoareseekingtheirownuniqueways to help move the needle towards equality for all. Please use the link SBJ.net/diversitystatement to access a growing list of community resources: • Become a member of Minorities in Business and/ or sponsor a monthly meeting or special event. • Become a corporate or individual member of the Springfield NAACP chapter. • Participate in the Facing Racism Institute put on by Missouri State University, or request specific training for your business. • Send employees to the Collaborative Diversity Conference (2020 conference was cancelled due to COVID-19). • Follow the work done by the Mayor’s Commission on Human Rights. • Follow the work done by the Public Entities Diversity Taskforce. • Contribute to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund through Community Foundation of the Ozarks. • Contribute or volunteer with the local chapter of Missouri Faith Voices. • Support black-owned businesses in our community. • Help Springfield add relevant resources to this list by emailing sbj@sbj.net. BLACK LIVES MATTER Sincerely, Jennifer Jackson, Publisher Jennifer Jackson, Publisher, Springfield Business Journal Scenes from a June 6 protest in downtown Springfield