To Our Beloved Community:
As a leader of a company that exists to create community and opportunity for ALL women, it is imperative to me that our community knows the heart and beliefs of the leadership of this company.
We believe that Black lives matter.
They matter in Uganda and they matter in Ethiopia and they matter in the United States of America. They matter. Full stop.
A core belief at Sseko Designs is that we are better together. That we are connected to one another and, as Desmond Tutu reminds us, that my humanity is tied up with yours.
One of the things we love most about the Sseko community is how different we are. We come from different backgrounds, countries, and cultures and have different beliefs and driving motivations. We honor our differences and welcome conversation and disagreement on a wide variety of issues.
But we are in agreement on these two things: That every girl should have the opportunity to learn and to lead, and that Black lives matter.
We cannot use our platforms and resources to fight and advocate for the rights of Black women in Uganda and Ethiopia but stay silent when it comes to fighting for Sandra Bland and Breonna Taylor. Or, for Wanda Cooper who saw her son, Ahmaud Arbery, ambushed and murdered in broad daylight. Or, for the deceased mother of George Floyd’s, whose name he called out in the final moments of his brutal murder. Or, for the Black mother, wife, sister, daughter in our community who constantly wonders when her beloved leaves home, if he will return or if she herself is safe in her own home.
We, as a country and community and organization, have a long way to go in undoing the roots and framework of white supremacy.
At Sseko, we believe we are here on earth to, as Ram Dass says, “Walk one another home.”
The thing is, walking is a verb. These words are not enough but they are an expression of the beliefs that will drive us forward.
We are committed to spending our resources to build a community where these two beliefs are evident in everything we do — seen and unseen.
To be reminded of Sseko’s beliefs, specifically on equity, diversity, and inclusion, please read the statement on our website found at https://sseko.wpengine.com/diversity-and-inclusion/.
We know that this is life long work and we’re in it for the long haul.
We are better together and we must do better, together.
Love,
Liz and team Sseko
P.S. Sharing is caring so below (and every month from here on out) we’ll be sharing what we’re listening to, reading, watching, and shopping!
