Poppy's Steps Toward Racial Equality & Change"

Black lives matter. We hear you, we see you, we love you, we believe you.

This is not our first time confronting race, injustice and systemic racism. Before start-ups and flowers, our founder, Cameron, worked in drug policy during the Obama Administration, transforming the federal government’s response from the War on Drugs to treating addiction as the public health issue it really is.

But this is our first time being publicly vocal about systemic racism. Now is not the time to sit idly by. Now is the time for white voices to join with the chorus of black voices who have been speaking for so long, and are tired. It’s time for us to share the burden of change.

Our team has had many discussions over the past week about how we can make a difference, but we all know actions speak louder than words. It’s time to do the work. Here’s part of our plan:

We will continue to donate flowers to Plants and Blooms ReImagined (@bloomin38) to ensure her floral therapy programming for our most vulnerable populations in D.C. continues to thrive.

We will be launching at least one new product whose profits will go to fundraisers for families who have suffered the loss of a loved one at the hands of law enforcement or white vigilantes, starting with Breonna Taylor, who would have been celebrating her 27th birthday today if her life had not been taken too soon by police.

We will increase the number of partnerships we do with black businesses, influencers, and vendors, while continuing our focus on empowering women throughout the floral supply chain.

As our team grows, we will actively recruit to hire black candidates across our company.

And, most importantly, we will deepen our education of anti-racism, and the 400-year history of oppression against black people in our country.

We’re a small team with dreams to make the flower industry a little less white and a little less male. Even if the right words are hard to find, silence is not the answer. So, if we misspeak, we’re all ears. Ready to listen, improve, and implement. Flowers are what we know, but you can bet your ass that your new flower company will be built the right way: with diverse perspectives shaping our future as we work to dismantle white supremacy and the patriarchy all at once.

With love,

Cameron, Rachel and the Poppy Team

P.S. Please, REGISTER TO VOTE! Elections matter.

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Black Lives Matter

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