Big Cartel's Anti-Racist Work is Ongoing: Update 1

If you follow us on social media, chances are you saw our recent posts stating that Big Cartel unequivocally stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and expressing our commitment to ongoing antiracist work.

This is the first update - and there will be more - where we show our work. It's important to us to dig into the details about the work we're actively doing to make the world a more just place, both inside our company and out. It also provides an avenue to hold us accountable to our word.

Let's not waste any time and get right to it. Here's what we've been working on so far, with much more to come.

Ongoing Monthly Donations

Every month we'll be pledging $10,000 in donations to Black, Brown, and Indigenous-led causes committed to antiracism, including donation-matching our sellers raising funds for causes important to progress.

In June our $10k went directly to bail funds working to free protestors and community members from a racist carceral system. Additionally, we matched $2,750 in donations raised by shops in our community. Those donations went to various bail funds across the country and to Feed the Hood, a fundraising initiative started by Hill District Consensus Group.

In July our $10k went to Projects LETS, an organization focused on addressing the intersectionality between race, mental health, and disability, areas that are deeply important to us.

Price Relief for Fundraising

Anyone with a Big Cartel shop that is fundraising for racial justice issues can reach out to us for some price relief. Contact us with details and we'll be happy to figure something out.

Big Cartel Art Works

The Big Cartel Art Works initiative was developed so more independent creators can share their unique perspectives through their art - and get paid for it. We're committed to working towards clear goals around representation with these projects. We want at least 50% of our contributors on a monthly basis to be people who are often underrepresented including Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian creators, as well as people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ folks, and women. We’ll also be keeping an eye on the projects we take on to make sure our budget is fairly distributed over time.

Updates to Prohibited Items

We've said it once and we'll say it again: there's no room for hate at Big Cartel. In the past we haven't been as clear as we could've been and we realize now that it's best to be explicitly clear. Below is the new language included in our Merchant User Agreement regarding items not allowed on Big Cartel:

• Hate speech; including, but not limited to, speech that is harmful to others, or that is or promotes racism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, xenophobia, white supremacism, fascism, or white nationalism;

• Products or content glorifying guns, gun culture, violence, illegal activity, self-harm, or policing;

• Products or content associated with hate groups or depicting white supremacist, fascist, or white nationalist symbols or phrases, including, but not limited to, the Confederate battle flag, racial slurs, and messages supporting organizations or political candidates that support or espouse such beliefs or ideologies.

Working in Public

We're still figuring out our place in this movement and identifying how we can help. This process will undoubtedly be messy and imperfect, but we refuse to let that hinder us in moving towards progress. This work is ongoing and as we move forward, we will continue to reflect, evolve, and update our practices, actions, and policies over time.