Info As Shared from the NYC Small Business Services:
Dear Small Business Community,
The last 12 months have left deep marks in the fabric of our society. We’ve endured immense heartbreak watching friends, family, and neighbors suffer from illness. We’ve seen heinous acts of xenophobia, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, islamophobia, and antisemitism inflicted on our community.
The horrific anti-Asian, anti-woman violence that took place in Georgia this week shook us to our core. It showed the country the fear that many of us feel every single day. It showed the country that worry carries the heaviest weight. It is a deeply troubling feeling to acknowledge that hatred is not our new enemy, though its reach has been amplified over the past year.
And yet every day we wake up and we show up for work, we run our businesses, we volunteer.
Since the start of COVID-19, we have seen a sharp increase in instances of hostility and harassment directed at Chinese and other Asian communities related to COVID-19 stigma and misinformation. We are combatting this stigma through our Asian American Small Business Taskforce, designed to offer SBS and other agencies a space to hear firsthand about the unique challenges and needs of this community. We thank our coalition of 30 community groups and other partners for making time and space to work with us to make our city stronger and more equitable.
As we reopen, it is important to acknowledge that recovery for one means recovery for all. We remain committed to our mission of diversity, equity, and inclusion for all New Yorkers.
It is a personal responsibility for each of us to stand up to hate. We all have a right to live free of fear and discrimination.
I encourage you to take the time you need to mourn, to acknowledge your real feelings, and to use the resources below. And remember, you are not alone. SBS is always here for you, your business, and your community.
Sincerely,
Commissioner Jonnel Doris
