Picture a world free of racism, where no matter what you look like, everyone has equal opportunities, and is treated with dignity and respect. That’s the world we want to live in and it’s what we’re working toward at Aura.
We know that systemic racism can’t be solved overnight. But we’re committed to being part of the solution. A few weeks ago, we committed to listening, learning, and taking action to support the Black Community. Today, Juneteenth, a special day that commemorates the end of slavery, we’re sharing our action plan.
Financial Commitment
Donate $10,000 to the National Bail Fund Network to provide legal and bail support to protestors advocating for civil rights. This donation is just the start. Aura is committed to continuing to give to social justice nonprofits and community-based organizations that serve the Black community and other communities of color. We are currently exploring ways to support an employee donation matching program and look forward to launching it soon.
Anti-Racism Education
Consult with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) trainers to lead real conversations and workshops about unconscious bias and what our staff can do to pro-actively be anti-racist, an ally, and advocate. Educate ourselves through books, podcasts, and movies about race in our employee book club including: Books: So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo and How to Be Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi. Podcasts: Still Processing and Code Switch Movies: 13th, I Am Not Your Negro and Loving
Representation
Engage black photographers, influencers, and other Black-owned businesses to prioritize racial diversity and sexual identity across Aura’s channels, products, and partnerships. This includes our campaign imagery, product design, social content, brand partners etc. If you’re interested in partnering with Aura, reach out to partnerships@auraframes.com.
Employee Resources
Continue to offer unlimited paid time off for our staff and encourage them to take time off when they need it, whether that’s for participating in Black Lives Matter protests, taking a mental health day, or caring for a loved one.
Long-Term Strategy
Partner with Project Include to survey Aura staff, better understand perceptions of inclusion, track gender and racial diversity, and set benchmarks to diversify our company’s hiring practices. The resulting conversations, data and recommendations will be used to create a DEI strategy for Aura.