The statement below was originally posted to our Facebook group in June. We have noted that some of our followers have not seen this, so we are reposting it here to make it more accessible.

We continue to discuss issues of diversity and inclusion as a team, and continue to look for additional ways to educate ourselves and to support our community. Our HQ team and social media moderating team currently includes people from very different backgrounds, countries, and cultures, including POC, LGBTQ+ and disability, however we are always looking to diversify further.

If you have any suggestions, or would like to work with us on this, please send an email to mrsh@mrs-h.com, or message our pages on Facebook or Instagram.

#BlackLivesMatter #BagMakingIsForEveryone

 

 

Facebook Statement 8th June 2020

We have been asked to comment on the discussions about social injustice that over the last couple of weeks have been brought to the forefront of people's attention around the world.

First, these are not new conversations. Racial discrimination and social injustice are not something that happened overnight.

Secondly, we are aware that we have privilege, and we cannot possibly speak to the depth of pain being felt by those who face direct, indirect, and institutional racism every day.

 

So, what are we doing about it?

Within our Facebook group, we actively monitor both our own language and the language used in the group. For our social media pages, our content curator watches out for and avoids cultural appropriation when sourcing inspiration.

 

And, what more can we do?

Maya Angelou said:

"Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better."

We can listen, own our mistakes, educate ourselves, and act on what we have learned. We believe allyship is a process - a continuous act of unlearning, listening and educating ourselves. For us, this means when we're called out on something we need to stop, listen to the feedback and reflect on it, apologise, educate ourselves, and make changes to our behaviour.

We can amplify the voices of those who can teach us, we can take up less space on your social media feeds so that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) voices can more easily be heard, and we can continue educating ourselves.

We believe we are part of the problem, but we are also part of the answer.

 

"Systems do not change unless the people who uphold them change, and each person is responsible for upholding the system."

- Layla F. Saad, 'Me and White Supremacy: How to Recognise Your Privilege, Combat Racism and Change the World'