Feed the wave with me
an invitation to join me in making anti-racism more than a moment
If you’re reading this post, first of all, thank you. You, like many others, have done me the great honor of hearing and elevating my voice. And for that, I thank you!
I’m writing today to make an announcement.
With your help, I’m hoping to feed a wave of change.
For a long time, I’ve thought about writing more proactively. But, until the recent conversation around injustice in this country pulled me by the heartstrings out from a more comfortable place… I just hadn’t found the purpose in it to consistently hit publish. Now, after having thousands of readers take in my words in both “Racism won’t die in 2020“ and “There’s No Debate: Good People Aren’t Good Enough”, I’ve realized the impact I can have, and am hoping my commitment to continued writing can be a vehicle for real, continued change and impact.
As of today, I’ll be unlocking paid subscriptions to this blog / newsletter / publication / whatchamacallit… distributing profits among vetted philanthropic efforts that are tackling some of our most difficult systemic issues heads on.
Now, do I think anyone should pay $$$ just to read my “Really (or Rarely) Important Random Thoughts?”
Of course not.
My goal is to write 20+ times a year, and my writing and content will always be free for anyone to read and subscribe to, forever. While I’ll likely continue to write about racism and social injustice, you can fully expect a wide range of really (or rarely) random important thoughts including but not limited to… racial justice and reform, being black while also a venture capitalist, life optimization, culture, personal theses, being the best husband I can be, personal takes on entrepreneurship and raising capital, food and wine, perspectives from a first-generation immigrant, how to make the perfect egg, an occasional take on faith, sports, and other random stuff I generally deem really (or randomly) important (at least to me).
The main headline here, though, is that for those determined to make a continued impact (even in a way that may seem small), but are still trying to navigate how best to do so, I’m hoping to offer an easy button.
So, what causes are we looking to start with? I may be biased, as these are all efforts that my wife, Erikka, and I already support, but trust me when I say we’ve done the research and believe them all to be phenomenally worthy efforts.
Equal Justice Initiative - The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.
BLCK VC - Only 3% of venture capitalists are Black, with even fewer with actual decision-making ability for the $80B+ invested annually in the US. BLCK VC was formed to connect, engage, empower, and advance Black venture investors by providing a focused community built for and by Black venture investors.
PicDiversity - PicDiversity is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to bringing diversity to the visuals and videos that surround children in their classrooms through free content for teachers. Whether an illustration for Kindergarteners, or videos for 5th graders, the visuals used to instruct our students should reflect student diversity.
Soul City, Love Works - Soul City’s mission is to lead people into a transforming relationship with Jesus. Love Works is putting that transformation into action. Through vetted local and global partner organizations, Love Works and the Soul City family engage communities in holistic transformation in their times of need.
My Block, My Hood, My City - My Block, My Hood, My City provides underprivileged youth with an awareness of the world and opportunities beyond their neighborhood. We take students on explorations focused on STEM, Arts & Culture, Citizenry & Volunteerism, Health, Community Development, Culinary Arts, and Entrepreneurism.
While I may update the list of charities receiving distributions over time, my promise is to maintain the integrity of this list and ensure through research and vetting that every charity benefiting from the benevolence of my readers will be above reproach in their methods and fight towards justice, anti-racism, empowerment of our youth, equal opportunity and a system that sees all, honors all, respects all, loves all… empowers all.
So… about that easy button.
You’ve got one option for paid, and it’s $10/month.
Why $10? Why not $5? Or $50? Or multiple options?
Here are a few reasons why I’m thinking $10/month is the right easy button, and what we’re going with.
I’ll be the first to admit to you that the most efficient way to give $$$, assuming you know who you want to give to, is directly to that charity. If you want to commit anything more than $10/month to a cause or multiple causes I’d strongly encourage you to consider going direct!
$10 is something, but hopefully it’s not backbreaking. It’s right up there with Netflix / Hulu / Disney+ subscription. It’s probably less than you spend on coffee. If you actually like my writing (bonus!), you can think about it as “buying me a beer” every couple of weeks.
If it is potentially backbreaking, then don’t do it. You can still read and subscribe completely free if you want, and hopefully the list of charities that RIRTs is feeding provides a list of ways you can potentially volunteer your time or other resources if that’s your best situation.
My goal for this? It’s simple, but it’s a start.
My goal for RIRTs in 2020 is through the generosity of it’s readers that each of the above charities receive at least $1,000 this year. $5,000+ in impact towards a better future.
That’s all I got!
Thanks for reading and considering joining me in what I hope can be a shared effort in feeding a wave of change for justice and equality in our nation, our world.
I hope you’ll consider pressing the easy button…
