I published a post to The Collab Lab’s internal Slack team on Sunday, but considering the events of the last couple of days wanted to take the step of taking the message public. It’s nothing profound, simply an expression of support for the amazing people who contribute to and take part in the programs of our little nonprofit.

To make it fully explicit, we at The Collab Lab believe that Black lives matter. We strive to be anti-racist. We acknowledge the many ways that privilege has benefited many of us. We are committed to doing everything we can to lift up the people who come to Collab Lab looking for that next bit of experience that might mean the difference between finding that foothold in tech or not.

If you have the means, consider donating to organizations fighting for justice for Black people. You can also educate yourself, patronize Black-owned businesses, etc. Here is an excellent compilation of aligned organizations and businesses.

@channel I just wanted to take a minute to acknowledge what’s going on in the world at the moment. I was born 17 days after Dr MLK, Jr was assassinated. That summer of ’68 saw massive protests including surrounding the Democratic National Convention. Yep, like 2020, 1968 was also an election year and Richard Nixon ended up being elected President. 😐

So little has changed in the last 50 years, I feel more sad and disappointed with my country than I ever have. As if the pandemic wasn’t enough, we’re seeing (mostly) peaceful uprisings by the American people being violently suppressed by police who have transformed themselves into armed militias and are acting not to serve and protect, but to destroy and intimidate.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (former NBA star for the LA Lakers) started life as Lew Alcindor and changed his name partly as a result of the unrest in the late 1960s. He’s written an incredibly thoughtful piece that might be helpful in putting some context around what is going on.

I know many of you are feeling a ton of strong and probably at times contradictory feelings about everything happening in the US and the world at the moment. The Collab Lab is a community and we will do everything we can to support each other through all of this.

We exist to right inequities in the tech industry. I see that as directly connected to the larger issues of social justice that are playing out right now on our screens and in some cases in front of our houses.

Be safe. Be strong. No justice, no peace. ✊