black lives matter. black lives matter. black lives. matter.
like many of you, i have recently become acutely aware of my privilege and have committed to self improvement largely by listening and learning. as a mother, i want my daughter to grow up in a better, kinder, fairer world. as a small business owner, i want sister katie to contribute in a positive and meaningful way.
in my pursuit of better understanding the issues, one data point really struck me: black women make 79 cents on the dollar compared to white women. so, 21% less.
i have watched how other business owners have responded to black lives matter over the past month, and have witnessed the varying reactions from customers and followers - some enthusiastic, some critical. while my platform to effect change is small, i believe we each have a duty to do what we can. i have thought hard about the changes i want to make, and have done so with humility and authenticity.
i imagine my commitments will continue to evolve as i become better informed and as the world around us changes, but i want to share with you how sister katie is changing in support of this better, kinder, fairer world:
(1) i am going to continue to highlight the black owned businesses and black creators who inspire me
(2) i will hire black models and black photographers for future campaigns
(3) i will collaborate with more black influencers and business owners as i launch future collections
(4) i have customized the checkout experience to reflect and accommodate the 21% wage gap for black women. every customer will have the opportunity to self identify as a woman of color, and will be given the option to take 21% off the cost of their order or donate 21% of their order to Black Mamas Matter Alliance or The Loveland Foundation. until the wage gap is closed, this will be a fixture on the sister katie site.
(5) i have also added a permanent donation option for all buyers who wish to donate to black causes on top of their orders
thank you for your continued support of sister katie. i look forward to hearing your feedback, and am hopeful about the change that is underway.