NUORI leadership and team members, in Copenhagen, Europe and the US, are asking ourselves very tough questions as we witness heartbreaking injustice, and the subsequent life-affirming acts of resistance, unfold across the United States.

I am a Finnish woman who grew up in Africa - including Mogadishu, Somalia and Lusaka, Zambia - where my parents worked relentlessly to bring healthcare and education services to those in need. From a young age, I have witnessed and understood the huge gap dividing white and black, rich and poor, West and the Rest. From day one, my ambition at NUORI was to create a brand and a workplace that embraces diversity, social justice and a fight for a better future for our planet and all the people on it. Our team, albeit small, reflects this. We proudly represent 9 different nationalities, various socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, and a beautiful range of skin tones. And just to be clear, at NUORI we do not accept racism or discrimination of any kind.

That said, we can and must do so much more as a company and as individuals against injustice and covert racism as well.

Our team in New York is proudly participating in vigils and protests, putting feet on the ground to show active support of the Black Lives Matter movement. We listen to their accounts and cry with them. We are also starting a podcast, film and book club for the team to help us recognize and dismantle systems of white privilege and supremacy.

It is clear that we should be more vocal about our beliefs. We pledge to do more to promote the political values we at NUORI strongly believe in: a non-discriminating society, free healthcare for all, free education for all, a multi-party democracy, and a government that is for the people – not against the people.

As a humble gesture of our immediate support to those on the frontlines, we are donating all profits from NUORI.US for the month of June across the following organizations:

NAACP Legal Defense Fund naacpldf.org

Antiracist Research and Policy Center antiracismcenter.com

Campaign Zero joincampaignzero.org

With immense respect,

Jasmi Bonnén