Over the last month, our home city of Richmond, Virginia has been one of many across the country wrestling with how we shape our communities to be truly inclusive. In the midst of a global pandemic, a number of recent events have catalyzed the urgency for us to think and act differently. More and more people are waking up to the fact that the time for real change is long overdue.

As a company and as individuals, we at Green Fin Studio remain committed to diversity, equality, inclusion, and social justice. Our company’s big picture goals are focused on increasing environmental protections, science literacy, and sustainability. Everyone needs a seat at the table to achieve these goals and we know that minority communities are disproportionally vulnerable to the consequences of inaction. All too often, representatives from these communities are not included in the discussions and decisions and this needs to change.

Over the last two weeks, our team has been talking internally and with our partners, listening to others, educating ourselves, and discussing ways to better advance equality for all. There are no shortcuts to get us where we want to go. We know that a few social media posts won’t move the needle; it’s going to take a combination of big and small steps, both personal and collective, to realize the type of change that is needed.

Here is a list of our own commitments to achieving equality and diversity.

• Maintain our commitment to fair and open hiring processes and actively reach out to underrepresented communities and organizations to seek additional support when needed;
• Participate in programs that increase diversity in STEAM opportunities, including volunteering for more mentorship opportunities;
• Seek out additional colleges and universities to provide broader exposure to careers in science communication and expand who we are reaching with position announcements;
• Engage with and amplify under-represented voices across our channels. A few that we have found particularly helpful can be found in the Book Club and What We’re Into sections of this month’s newsletter;
• Within Richmond, we are using BLKRVA to help us find and support local black businesses and communities; and
• Even little things matter, when we must shop online instead of supporting local businesses, we are ordering through Amazon Smile and selecting the Equal Justice Initiative as the organization % 0.5 of our purchases will support. The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the U.S., to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American Society.

We encourage your thoughts and feedback on additional ideas for us or actions you are taking. Elsewhere in our newsletter we have also compiled lists of external resources and trusted voices we have found useful.