JUNE 2020 NEWSLETTER: Audre Lorde reminds us “Poetry is Not a Luxury”

Hi friends,

At Modernist, we dig deep for guidance and inspiration to center anti-racism in our lives and our business. We know we need education and poetry (really all the arts that rage against injustice) in order to chart a collective path forward. We must engage the heart and the mind in finding new steps and routes for our individual lives and the financial industry.

We highly recommend reading (and re-reading) Audre Lorde’s essays “Poetry is Not a Luxury” and “The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House.”  And then take action (see below).

In solidarity and action,
Georgia and Team Modernist

A Dilemma of Inheritance:
The Case for Reparations

Money is inherently political, which is why we’re building a wealth management firm to help folks structure their wealth around their progressive values. 

We’re (re)visiting The Case for Reparations by the inimitable Ta-Nehisi Coates. Coates reminds us of the land and resources stolen from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), and the lasting impacts of wealth-building discrimination through the GI Bill and FHA loans and other structurally unjust elements of America’s economic infrastructure.

⚡️ACTION: Many real estate markets are hot right now. The next time you sell or purchase real estate, consider gifting a percentage to an organization working to build wealth in communities of color. Consider the African American Alliance for Homeownership, Portland Housing Center, or a similar organization in your community.

INVEST in education

⚡️ACTION: Wondering where to start?

Here are some business resources we love:
Workplace Change, an HR firm run by Serilda Summers-McGee, has been instrumental in helping Modernist chart a path towards a more culturally inclusive company. As a small firm, we’re grateful for their team trainings, recruiting services, and leadership coaching.

The Dismantle Collective (a POC-led collective of B Corps working to dismantle white supremacy) has created a White Allyship 101 guide.

And for your personal growth:
Our team has found the Reframing Racism classes at The Center for Equity and Inclusion valuable for gaining a fundamental understanding of concepts and behaviors.

Georgia loves the meditation and spiritual focus in the Awakening to Whiteness course through the Zen Community of Oregon. Now offered online beginning July 5th.

WHAT’S NEW AT MODERNIST UNIVERSITY

At Modernist University, we continue to gather resources to reach beyond our work with individual clients, including keeping up with all of the changing COVID related legislation.

If you’re a business owner, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act may affect you. This act offers small and midsize employers refundable tax credits for providing COVID-19-related paid sick and family leave wages to their employees. We shared answers to FFCRA FAQs on the blog.

In early June, updates were made to the Paycheck Protection Program, including extended forgiveness and payback periods, and more. Check out our spreadsheet on the changes here.

ART IS NOT A LUXURY. IT IS A BEACON.

Nina Chanel Abney’s work combines representation and abstraction, and takes the form of murals, prints, collages, and large scale paintings in public spaces. 

Using paint, stencil, and the joys of spray paint, Nina’s work broaches subjects of race, celebrity, religion, politics, sex, and art history, and her distinct style trades linear narrative for loose and disjointed narrative. 

⚡️ACTION: If you're in Portland, check out her mural at ADX on SE 11th at SE Stark. And, the videos on her site make for binge-viewing!

A SONG THAT IS REALLY ABOUT JUSTICE

Modernist has been named the 16th largest LGBTQ owned business in Oregon & SW Washington.

2020 Pride has been an essential reminder that the roots of our movement were in the fight for social justice and equitable civil rights. 

Stonewall was a riot against systemic police brutality. The first pride parade was a political protest. And the fight continues to secure an end to police brutality and civil rights for all, especially by showing our support for Black Lives Matter. We hope you enjoy Latrice Royale's celebration of the Black women who have been fighting for justice for hundreds of years.