Wolf In Sheep's Clothing?

Happy Tuesday #Jontourage,

​Welcome back to the “Classy Gent Chronicles”, where staying classy is the only way to be. In this week’s edition, read about my take on the recent outreach from businesses.

It's truly not my intention to appear ungrateful towards companies speaking out about standing with black people but I fear some are only doing this as a PR stunt to avoid losing sales. Here's why I say this:
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1. A certain company recently wrote a statement saying they stand with us but to this day still sells "Make American Great Again" shirts and hats. We all know the bigger meaning behind that slogan so if you understood our situation as black people, why do you still profit off of selling the hats and shirts?

2. Flint, Michigan STILL does not have clean water. Flint's population is almost 60% black. Beyond Flint, Michigan, there are many other minority communities not receiving support to this day.

3. Many companies are saying they support black lives but most companies have not issued a statement saying they plan to hire more black people in senior-level administrative roles or redo their pay structure to make sure black and white workers are being paid equally. There's not much of a fight when it comes to the factory/warehouse roles for black people but it's a different story when it is time for one of us to step into a senior management role... the jobs where actual decisions get to be made. We all know that wealth building and representation at the table are the two fastest ways to have power.

4. Many of the checks that have been cut from companies are tax-deductible so what money did they lose from donating? On top of that, where was the money donated to? It's great to support national organizations, but I'm sure there is an underfunded minority youth sports or dance league somewhere within 50 miles of these company's headquarters that they could have also donated to. With many companies, sometimes a bigger percentage of your donation goes towards marketing than it does for actual community relief. (Maybe this point is a reach but I stand behind what I'm saying)

A black life MUST be more than a PR stunt or a "cause of the month". This is real for us. 

Moral of the Story: I challenge all businesses not only to make statements of impact in writing but to also make statements of impact through their actions.

Remember, in order to live out your dreams, you have to think it, feel it, live it! Until next time, stay classy...

For more Classy Gent Chronicles blog post, be sure to visit https://www.authorjon.com/blog

P,S, Be sure to watch my recent Youtube video on "How You Can Help?"