Monday's Opening Thought: February 22, 2021

This week’s opening thought: If you’re reaching out to equity consultants and anti-racism advocates/speakers and you’re not offering them financial compensation you are aiding and abetting white supremacy in the guise of “doing better.”

Even if you “only want 15 minutes of their time” you not even considering offering them financial compensation for their emotional and mental labor is you openly using people of color for free labor. That is the opposite of “doing better.”

Take the time to find out a person of color’s rates. Don’t lowball them with subpar counters. Hell, don’t counter them at all. If their rates are “too high” for you, that’s not their problem. They deserve to not have to barter with you when you’re the one who contacted them for their services.

And before you ask no, an offer of coffee or lunch isn’t financial compensation. That’s a cheap offer that shows you’re not willing to offer your full attention. That’s also asking someone to try and ingest food and drink while having to be emotionally present and cater to you. How do you think that food is gonna settle in their body?

Pay people for their labor.