A Guide to Supporting BLACK Creatives

After spending the summer of 2020, in the wake George Floyd's murder and the height of the BLACK LIVES MATTER movement. Our small collective group wrote a letter to Brands and Creative companies that addresses a universal uncouth standard toward BLACK and Persons of Color that has been allowed to fester. Our objective is to address the day to day imbalance that BLACK creatives face. Offering suggestions toward what can immediately acted on to start to break the cycles of systemic supremacy and help guide companies to genuine supportive gestures that avoid fruitless posturing.
In the weeks following the death of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Amaud Aubrey, corporations began an onslaught of donations, long term initiatives, advert and message campaigns toward addressing (a recently almost universally acknowledged) on-going problem in America.
The original (version 1) format was directed at companies that our specific network have experience working closely with. (This information has been redacted to protect all parties involved, from legal ramifications)
Version 2's amendments uses the same ethos and objective but opens the conversation around imbalance to the greater corporate structure, creative industry and creative adjacent brands.
Our peers were consulted to gather thoughts and outlined approach to not only helping express the need of the letter's subject but also defining clear steps that focus promoting on the ground level, day-to-day change.
These are two examples of designers challenging the industry.
Left/First: Do you want typography or do you want the truth? An op-ed written by Erik Carter. 7 June 2018.
Right/Second: First Things First manifesto by Ken Garland 29 November 1964.
Both were published as retaliation against the role of the graphic designer in capitalism, and were referenced as a foundation toward our approach, tone, and intention with the Support Guide.

THE PHYSICALITY OF THE LETTER WAS IMPORTANT TO VISUALIZE.
REINFORCING THE URGENCY NEEDED, AND REMAINING AVERSE TO THE FLEETING NATURE OF DIGITAL ASSETS, CAUSE BASED BANDWAGONING AND VIRTUE SIGNALING.
Posters and Postcards can be requested to be sent and directed at creative adjacent companies that you feel could be doing more. (We will also send these artifacts anonymously if preferred.)
Send company information and requests to inbox@pleaserespectourneighbors.com
WE ARE OPEN TO FURTHER SUGGESTIONS AND AMENDMENTS TO THIS DOCUMENT