Over the years, we’ve borne witness to the abuse of Black lives in our hometown of St. Louis. For Blueprint Coffee, it started with the unnecessary death of Michael Brown. Then came the acquittal of Jason Stockley for the charge of first-degree murder of Anthony Lamar Smith. Through these and countless other instances of injustice at the hands of local law enforcement, we have renounced racism and stood in support of the Black community.

But that hasn’t been enough, and nothing has changed. Across the country, history continues to repeat itself.

Oscar Grant. Trayvon Martin. Eric Garner. Ahmaud Arbery. Breonna Taylor. George Floyd.

Each time we say their names with more outrage and more determination to bring about change. Police brutality should be prosecuted. Systemic racism needs to be dismantled.

We will not sit back and remain silent.

Blueprint is committed to using our voice and position in the community to push these initiatives forward. How?

We are:

1. Engaging our team and listening to ways we can adjust internal policies, procedures and company culture to ensure Blueprint remains a place of inclusion for our staff and customer base.

2. Amplifying black voices and messages of anti-racism from within our community.

3. Supporting local organizations and protesters through monetary donations and donation of supplies, as well as pointing our audience in directions to take action.

4. Applying pressure to community and political leaders to enact legislation and policies that support change.

Black lives matter. This is a statement of fact we do not yet see reflected in today’s society. But fighting to end injustice and standing up against exploitation is embedded in our core values as a company. We won’t back down.

Photo by Martell (Marty) Stepney