We are listening.
As a storytelling agency, we understand that our job, first and foremost, is to listen. We have spent the past week listening to stories of racism and violence here in Fargo, in the Twin Cities, and across the country, and we are heartbroken by what we hear. We are angered and saddened by the stories of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, James Scurlock, Tony McDade, Nina Pop, David McAtee, and so many others. We recognize that these are not new or isolated stories, but chapters in a long history of discrimination and prejudice.
We have taken time to listen this week, and we have also taken time to look inward. We acknowledge the opportunities we have experienced that are not available to all members of our community, and we are committed to using them to better serve our neighbors. We are committed to identifying ways to diversify our team and our work.
As we’ve been listening this week, we have learned that it is not enough to merely say ‘We will be better.’ We have to do the work.
These are a few of the actionable steps that Team Tellwell commits to taking in the days, months, and years to come to confront our own biases and make Fargo a safer, more just place.
Read stories that force us to confront our biases head-on.
Team Tellwell will be participating in a book club read of So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo. Every member will read the book independently, and come together in a few weeks to discuss what we have learned. We encourage our friends, families, and clients to join us!
Donate to organizations working toward justice, education, and rebuilding.
Each member of Team Tellwell will be selecting one of the following organizations to make an individual donation to, which will be matched by Tellwell.
- Northside Funders Group and West Broadway Business and Area Coalition: working together to support North Minneapolis businesses that have been impacted by COVID-19 and the recent uprising.
- We Love Lake Street: donating 100% of funds to help rebuild Minneapolis’s Lake Street, starting with direct support to small businesses and nonprofits to help them rebuild their storefronts, reopen their businesses and serve our neighborhoods.
- BrightSide Corner Store Assistance Fund: BrightSide Produce is committed to making healthy foods available and affordable throughout the Twin Cities. Several of their corner stores have been damaged during this week’s unrest.
- Arise! Communities: creating judgment-free, inclusive learning communities that help women and marginalized groups explore technology in new and meaningful ways.
- BEAM: removing the barriers that Black people experience to receiving the emotional health care and healing they need.
- NAACP: a civil rights organization, founded in 1909, committed to political, educational, social and economic equality.
- The Equal Justice Initiative: working to end mass incarceration, excessive punishment, and racial inequality in the United States.
Uplift Black voices in our community.
We are offering five free one-hour consultation sessions to Black entrepreneurs, business leaders, and organizations in our community. If you or someone you know could use some support clarifying your message and getting your story out, please contact max@staging.tellwellnew.flywheelsites.com to get started!
Support Black-owned businesses and orgs in the F-M.
Check out this awesome list of Black-owned businesses and organizations in Fargo-Moorhead, compiled by Fargo Mom! If you know of any other lists, please DM them to us and we will add them to this resource!
Keep listening, learning, and working.
These four steps are just the beginning of our journey toward becoming better allies. We acknowledge that unpacking racism and unlearning bias is a constant process, and that we will inevitably make mistakes. But most importantly, we will be open to dialogue and correction when we do.
Because here at Tellwell, we believe that Black voices, stories, and lives matter.
Thank you for checking in with us!
#TeamTellwell
