Tubby & Coo’s has been very vocal about our support of BIPOC communities (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), and we believe that racism intersects with homophobia, misogyny, xenophobia, classism, ableism, and every -ism across the board. We also unequivocally believe that Black Lives Matter.
As a white business owner, I personally am committed to taking real action to dismantle racism both inside and outside of the bookstore while promoting equity and justice. I believe that doing better as a business and as a person requires more than simply stating support and creating lists of books. I know that actions speak louder than words. Tubby & Coo’s mission has always been, and continues to be, creation of a safe and inclusive space, especially for those who have historically been marginalized in the literary and board gaming communities. Fighting racism is a key part of that.
My personal commitment to dismantling racism includes continuous and ongoing opportunities for learning. I recently took a White Allyship/Antiracist workshop through the American Bookseller’s Association with Cultures Connecting as part of my personal commitment to being antiracist. This is just one step in a lifelong journey. Being antiracist isn’t about following a trend – it’s about actively fighting racism each and every day. I personally commit, and I commit my business, to listening to, learning from, and collaborating with the community. I commit to this ongoing journey of fighting systemic racism, which is connected to all other -isms, and I commit to learning from my mistakes and making progress.
I created the following Antiracist Action Plan for Tubby & Coo’s to ensure that our ongoing operations align with our mission of creating an inclusive and affirming space, including through dismantling racist systems. This plan will be incorporated into our regular business operations.
This is, of course, a living document, which means we will make changes, add ideas, and track our progress over time. This initial document is meant to be a foundation for our ongoing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts that go beyond race and center justice in how we operate.
Should anyone from the community have suggestions as to how we, as a business, can better our antiracism efforts, we are always open. Feel free to e-mail me personally at [email protected].
In solidarity,
Candice Huber, Owner
We will continue the following programs, endeavors, and investments:
We commit to taking the following actions:
As I stated above, this is a living document and foundation for our ongoing antiracism work. Fighting systemic racism directly relates to our store mission of creating a safe and inclusive educational space for the community, and I commit to continuing to learn, grow, change, and add to this plan as necessary to ensure that we are taking real action toward creating a better world.
– Candice Huber, Owner