‘(We want) to support you all during this painful and inspiring time. Please let us know what we can do for you.’

Last week, California-based vegetarian brand Amy’s Kitchen released a letter in solidarity to the Black Lives Matter movement and pledged a donation of $500,000 to organizations supporting Black empowerment and ending police brutality.

The family-owned company shared that it stands with all the victims who have been affected by police violence and racism in families and communities and will continue supporting the Black community for as long as it takes to make Black Lives Matter in the United States.

“The recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, and the countless others who came before them, are heavy on our hearts. Although what is happening is impacting all of us, we know that the pain, grief, and anger for those of you in communities of color, and especially the Black community, are unbearable,” wrote the company, in the letter posted on Instagram.

Amy’s acknowledged that while it assumed that “being kind to everyone and feeding all were enough,” it needed to revisit its mission statement for “issues of equity and justice have not always been a public priority.”

“We now understand that to be silent on these issues is to be part of the problem, and that addressing and educating ourselves deeply on issues of unconscious bias and systemic oppression are something that all people and all organizations in America must take on,” the company shared.

Social Justice

The brand went on to thank its youth and POC employees for driving social justice and prioritizing the movement at Amy’s.

It wrote: “We thank them all deeply for their push and the challenging conversations they have had with us and many others.

 “We are already the better for it as a family and a company.”

Actions speak louder than words

Promising to be accountable and transparent in its action going forward, Amy’s said “it would read, listen and learn from the Black community for long enough to understand what actions will be truly impactful.”

It added that while its “small step of donating $500,000 to organizations supporting Black empowerment and ending police brutality,” does not go far enough, it knows economic power can bring justice.

Amy’s concluded that as part of its long-term plan, it looked forward to suggestions in becoming the best support to the community during this painful and inspiring time.

“Please let us know what we can do for you,” it said.

Social responsibility

This is not the first time; Amy’s Kitchen has reached out to support the affected.

During the coronavirus pandemic, it donated more than 150,000 vegan meals to food banks and shelters supporting the vulnerable population of the community present in Sonoma County, CA, Medford, OR, and Pocatello, ID.  

In addition, it also distributed 6,000 masks to local hospitals as well as to those in need.

“As the effects of COVID-19 spread throughout the world and with so many of us experiencing heightened uncertainty, few things feel more important than to have good, safe food available for ourselves and our loved ones,” said Amy’s co-founder Rachel Berliner at the time.

“As a food company, we here at Amy’s Kitchen take this seriously every day, but we are feeling the urgency of it now more than ever.”

• Read: Lewis Hamilton drives a point home: ‘Black Lives Matter – Don’t You Forget It’

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