Black Mamas Matter
                     Our Commitment to Supporting the Black Community, Advocating 
Against Racism, and Promoting Diversity in our Place of Business
Our country is facing the imminent need for change surrounding civil rights and discrimination 
against black people. I've had enough of the "old ways" which are unfortunately alive and 
thriving in today's white America, and are not going anywhere soon enough. My feeling is this: 
This is not our grandfather's country any more. It's time for us people on the right side of the 
argument to take stand after stand after stand against the mistreatment of our black brothers 
and sisters.
To be open about this, first I will say that as a white (and yes privileged!) female business 
owner, in the past I would more often than not avoid controversy and not publicly speak about 
issues of race or politics on the platform of my business. Sometimes I'd wish I were more 
outspoken like my mom. Who tells it like it is on social media all the time! I wish I'd been more 
unafraid of pissing people off. Now these current events have pushed me to speak MY truth, 
because to be be silent IS to be COMPLICIT.
So, previously I understood that race issues and politics were "off limits" if I did not want to 
alienate sectors of my customer base. A lot of us business owners were guilty of this and it will 
probably take some personal reprogramming to feel more comfortable talking about these 
subjects openly. A lot of celebrities are faced with a similar choice. Now we can't afford NOT to 
talk about them - to be quite blunt, I'd rather lose the racists than lose my customers of color, 
and that is the choice we must make as business owners in this moment.
Because I am the sole person running my business right now, reviving normal store hours alone 
after 2 months of pandemic closure, and taking care of my 6 month old daughter, I wasn't able 
to fire off a response to what is happening right away, like most businesses have already done. I
needed to listen to what people are saying and let things soak in. I felt overwhelmed by what I 
call the 'woke police' on social media, out there accusing people and businesses of being un-
authentic and just paying lip-service to the issues. Frankly it kind of sickened me into feeling 
guilty and scared about nothing I had even done yet, and maybe made me fearful for issuing a 
'bad' response? So I've been investigating how I feel, which made me realize it's no different 
than I've always felt, but was I representing that openly enough, and what changes can I make 
or actions can I take to better reflect my values in the way I do business? How can I positively 
impact people of color, their community, and all minorities in general? And how can I 
advocate for them to my Caucasian audience?
First off, I need to commit to re-asking myself this question at least a few times a year, make 
pivots, and commit to frequent reassessment. This is something I can bring my staff in on, 
because sharing ideas is something I always encourage anyway.
1. One of the easiest things for me to do is to BE INFORMED AND VOTE AND DONATE to the 
cause. I'm already a staunch progressive voter and I read probably more news than the average 
person daily, so that is an easy one. I am aware of social issues, battles, political agendas, and 
most things that are going on in our world. Therefore, the first NEW thing I did was sign up for 
monthly $25 donations to BLM, but after the fact I received a very resource-full email that 
made me aware of nine more organizations fighting against black maternal mortality. You can 
see the list here. So I've decided that because my business is at a near stand-still right now, and
I can't afford to donate to multiple organizations each month until things change, I will choose 
one new organization per month and try to spread my resources around. I'm willing to increase 
the amount once business gets closer to what it used to be. For July I will support Black Mamas
Matter and August's recipient will be NAACP Legal Defense Fund.  If you have any 
organizations in mind that you think I should have on my radar, please let me know about 
them! Those that focus on minority mothers and children's issues get extra points since I'm 
always trying to support women's and mother's issues given our type of business. I will be 
making a listed plan for monthly donations and will share that when it's set up.
2. Promoting diversity in media content and giving children of color their own place in our 
brand is high on my list of importance and that's something you can help me with if you have a 
child wearing Monkey Pants(!) and care to share images (that I may share) via social media. In 
the past I have shied away from using images of actual children wearing our stuff, mainly just 
due to resources and because asking parents/children to "model" was not something I believed 
in or felt comfortable doing, to be quite honest. But a candid shot by the parents on a good 
clear camera/iPhone is something I would gladly share and I want to encourage families of ALL 
colors to participate. I know I have loyal customers/friends in many sectors and ethnic groups 
and for that I am so grateful!
Please reach out to me if you have some images you'd like us to share across our platform!
3. Representing different ethnicities in our product range and selection is also very important 
and it's something that all retailers need to do more of! I am currently ordering some new 
products that align with this and will make them available as soon as they arrive. Historically my
toy department hasn't been doll-heavy (it's mostly cute animals etc.) but I realize now that it's 
important to offer this since I'm the one feeding my customers! My next blog is going to be 
about why you should give your children a doll or toy of color. This is a topic that I feel very 
strongly about and I am anxious to write that and share it.
4. Internal diversity and hiring practices here at Monkey Pants are simple. Nice, friendly people 
that have a smile on their face and who make all guests feel welcome is the only criteria. A "NO 
MEAN PEOPLE" policy is all there is to that, so we shall continue hiring any qualified nice people
regardless of race, gender, creed, or sexual orientation/identity. We are team and a family and 
so far we have been very successful in creating a homey, welcoming environment among 
ourselves. I will continue to encourage collaborations and sharing of ideas; I will continue to 
promote the welfare of all my co-workers to the fullest extent that I am financially able.
5. Finally, let's just be clear about one thing - the most important thing - and that is getting the 
NEO FASCIST THUG out of the White House this November. We absolutely can not have a white
supremacist in charge, never should have, and on that note, I think you now know exactly 
where I stand. If you want to know more about my personal beliefs, that's something we'd 
need to discuss over tea.
This is just a beginning list and these are the first things that easily came to mind. I really hope 
that you will share your ideas however it is convenient for you (but not if you are a racist. If you 
are a racist, please do not comment, just kindly excuse yourself from this page). To all of you 
who stand with me on these issues, we've come pretty far but we've still got a long way to go.
Content is originally posted here: https://www.japanesemonkeypants.com/blogs/news/our-
commitment-to-supporting-the-black-community-advocating-against-racism-and-promoting-
diversity-in-our-place-of-business