Black Acknowledgement Statement

We recognize that Europeans built the Western Hemisphere at the often fatal expense of forcefully enslaved Black people. We acknowledge those who did not survive the Middle Passage and those who are direct descendants of those whom Europeans enslaved. We recognize those who still cannot safely walk down the street or sleep in their homes and those who are still dying while fighting for their liberation.

We aim to cultivate space to uplift Black stories and to celebrate Black lives.

We pledge to infuse our work with proper values of anti-racism. We offer these acknowledgments with respect and gratitude to spark more awareness, compassion, and empathy for Black lives in our community.

We recognize that labour is not and cannot be the only value of Black bodies. We will uphold anti-racist values in all facets of our work — our products, day-to-day operations, and our work in the community. This living acknowledgement of Black labour is a statement that recognizes and honours the African people who were enslaved at the hands of Europeans and subjugated to unpaid labour.

We are honoured to recognize our profound, challenging history with this land. We acknowledge that our ancestors worked the ground against their will for generations for the sake of European capitalism, and we are grateful for their insurmountable contributions.

It is essential to acknowledge and understand the persistence of structural and institutional racism today and how we can all contribute to dismantling these systems and creating new and equitable solutions.

Acknowledging these living histories commits us to anti-racist work today and beyond, as racialized privileges in the present day directly result from discrimination based on these histories.