What can you do as a white person right now?

A letter from Sunjay Singh, our Co-founder and Director:

“I was having a conversation with my friends in the business community, and one thing became clear very quickly. None of us knew what to say. With the Black Lives Matter marches happening, racial tensions high and then the scenes of Edward Colston’s statue being torn down and dumped into the docks, these were….interesting times to say the least.

The truth is, it was an uncomfortable situation for me as a businessman. What do I say? Do I say anything? Then I quickly realised that my silence wasn’t going to help and that in order to have a positive impact, I was going to need to speak up. 

When I thought about what I could add to the conversation, at first, I drew inspiration from my own dilemmas as a ‘businessman’, not as a person of colour. As a person of colour I was angry, saddened and ultimately reminded of what it was like to feel ‘different’. 

As a director, I thought about what it must be like for my white friends and associates right now and how tough it must be to navigate the world to show their solidarity but also not say the wrong thing.

This video is not perfect, but I try to cover some ground. I’m open to suggestions on other frank topics I can tackle head-on, that would help all of us in the business community.

I love my friends in the business world. They are some of the most empathetic connections I have in my life. So hopefully, this helps.

I also have a strong love and admiration for my black friends and colleagues within the business community. This shit is hard. I owe it to you to help. Know that I stand with you, shoulder to shoulder…well maybe forehead to shoulder (short joke). And I can only help in the way I know. Through some humour, poignancy and of course, a bloody video. Stay strong. 

Thanks for your time,

Sunjay.”