Dear Summersalt Family,

We are devastated by the events of the last few weeks and the inexcusable killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and the senseless deaths of so many black men, women and children before them. Like many of you, we are unsure of what to say, how to say it, or what to do, but we know we must speak and act. This is a time for us to be united in one voice that hate and prejudice based on the color of your skin are completely and absolutely unacceptable.

Since inception, Summersalt has always championed women by celebrating ethnicity, body diversity, and different cultures, but we are compelled to do more. As a company, we are reflecting on areas for improvement and choosing to learn from current events by prioritizing difficult conversations around race, privilege and inequality and by defining actionable steps that we can take toward progress.

As a starting point, we donated to the George Floyd Memorial Fund and to The Loveland Foundation Therapy Fund which provides financial assistance to black women and girls nationally seeking mental health support. Yesterday, we participated in #blackouttuesday, pausing all Facebook and Instagram posting and advertising for the day to amplify the message of unity against racial injustice. We know there is much more work to be done.

Summersalt is committed to the following strategic initiatives to ensure our efforts to combat systemic racism go beyond the near term.

• Utilizing our platforms as a force for change by sharing relevant resources and supporting and highlighting black women-owned businesses. We are compiling a directory of incredible black women-owned businesses by category for easy public access and would love suggestions for your favorites here.
• Championing black content creators and ensuring inclusion in marketing campaigns. We have partnered with many amazing women since inception and continue to champion inclusion on our website and content platforms. There is still a lot more work to be done.
• Making direct donations to organizations that are working tirelessly to combat racial injustice or to support women and girls of color. Today, we are announcing a $100,000 split donation between Color of Change and Forward Through Ferguson (based near our hometown of St. Louis, Missouri.)
• Initiating diversity and inclusion training at Summersalt. Our founding team is led by two women, one of color. While we are by no means perfect, we continue to be champions for diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
• Spreading joy and love has always been part of our mission, and we plan to do this with a renewed sense of focus on inclusion and diversity.

At Summersalt, we value and love our team members, customers, vendors, partners and friends of color. Black lives absolutely matter. We hope you will join us in spreading love and kindness, asking questions, and continuing to learn how to be better every single day.

Lori & Reshma