Several of Austin's most well-known tech startups, accelerators and digital companies signed an open letter, condemning racism and standing in solidarity with the Black community.
It encourages other organizations to sign on.
It's early supporters include Notley, Silicon Labs, data.world, WP Engine, NXP, Elsewhere Partners, Austin Tech Alliance, Entrepreneurs Foundation, GSD&M, Mobile Tech RX, SailPoint and Capital Factory.
In it, organizations pledge to take one or more of the following actions:
- Listening to our Black employees and investing time and money to support them in the ways they request support.
- Requiring all recruiters to complete training on identifying and removing bias from the hiring process.
- Providing all employees with regular opportunities to engage in racial justice education and action.
- Providing all employees with as much paid time off as they need to exercise their voting rights on Election Day each year.
- Partnering with local nonprofits and universities to build a pipeline of future Black hires
- Identifying and working with Black-owned businesses to supply our vendor needs and build wealth in the Black community.
- Financially supporting organizations that address racial disparities in the criminal justice system.
- Financially supporting organizations that address voter suppression in Texas.
We'll let it the letter for itself. It reads as follows:
For many people, Juneteenth is an opportunity to celebrate the freeing of enslaved Black people in our country and the progress Black people have made since emancipation. For us, it is also a chance to deepen our understanding of systemic racial injustice and to explore how we can invest in even more progress.
We are a coalition of Austin business leaders uniting to use our privilege and position to advance racial justice in our companies and communities.
Together, we are condemning racism. We are standing in solidarity with the Black community. Most importantly, we are taking action. This open letter serves as a promise to take meaningful, tangible steps to advance racial justice.
These actions will include financially supporting organizations that address racial disparities in the criminal justice system and beyond, advocating for the fundamental right to vote, and creating deeper pathways for underrepresented groups to succeed within our companies.
The depth of systemic change our companies and communities need won’t come from heartfelt statements. It will come from each and every one of us committing to move beyond words and toward thoughtful, decisive action.
Black Lives Matter. We challenge fellow members of Austin’s tech community to join us in taking the actions needed to live up to that statement.
