To our T-REX community:
The T-REX team, like the rest of our community, grieves the loss of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, David McAtee, and the many who have been taken before them.
We are humbled at the sheer gravity of this moment. We are heartbroken, hearing the continued pain and outcry of our Black sisters and brothers. Truly, if you are not outraged, you are not paying attention.
But we also believe the winds of change are at our backs. We believe that as a community and as a nation, we have a moment now that we cannot lose—a moment that will forever impact the very character of our country. So we implore you to support all efforts to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for the Black community–right now.
In the days and weeks and months and years ahead, T-REX will intensify our work to support Black entrepreneurs and workforce training opportunities—such efforts are part of our DNA. Our partnership with the CTO of the City of St. Louis to address digital divide issues, issues that are even more acute in this time of pandemic, are high priority. Our work with the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship will also be a high priority. And we will continue to work with our many partners, such as the Small Business Development Center and the St. Louis Development Corporation, to enrich education, workforce training, entrepreneurial opportunities, and funding for Black-owned businesses and startups.
We hope that you too will commit to a more just and equitable future for our entire community. We ask you to consider supporting local organizations on the frontlines of building racial equity and/or empowering entrepreneurs each and every day. Learn about their missions, develop partnerships where possible, and support them financially if you can. This list is not all inclusive, but it certainly is a great start:
- Better Family Life
- Creative Reaction Lab
- Forward Through Ferguson
- Justine Petersen
- LifeArts
- Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship
- SLATE
- St. Louis Equity in Entrepreneurship Collective
- Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis
- WEPOWER
Here is a directory of Black owned businesses in St. Louis. Please support them! (By the way, our team thinks that Pharoah’s Donuts downtown should be sold out EVERY DAY!)
Martin Luther King Jr. said, “I have decided to stick to love…Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
Time to love.
Love to you all,
Patty Hagen
President & Executive Director, T-REX