Hi everyone.

This felt too lengthy as an Instagram post, but I really wanted to share this note with you all and be transparent of the inner workings of my businesses & my own heart....

Our words on social platforms and even this newsletter are only but a smidge of the matter. We have been taking time away from it all to do the work in our daily lives, my business here + Ritual Shoppe.

Moving forward, we want to make a conscious effort to do more listening and less speaking. And we hope with all of the ongoing listening, our “speaking” can now more specifically be a voice for the oppressed; shouting from the rooftops that black lives DO matter, trans lives DO matter, love is f*cking love!

Continuous, horrific circumstances only shed more and more light on how unjust it is to live as a BIPOC. And with it, I’ve also had my eyes humbly open to my white privilege.

There’s a lot of work to do and important things to learn and we are doing the work, whether we are posting on IG or not. As we slowly jump back into the “swing of things,” we wanted to share with you the changes we need to make as a brand/business.

Here are just a few things that we have realized need to change and how we’ve already begun to implement them:

• Carrying more BIPOC work in Ritual Shoppe. We recently made orders of new jewelry lines, candles, ceramics, (to name a few), from Black designers that you can soon purchase online & for local pick-ups (we’ll let you as soon as it's all in stock!)
• We are a shop that prior to COVID, was one that hosted workshops. Even if that means they are virtual for however long, we are brainstorming how to gather & learn together by hearing stories of Black artists, movers, makers & shakers. We want these to be thoughtfully curated, so please be aware that we’ll need some time for these projects to come to life, but they are things we are working on.
• We currently have cool, branded Ritual canvas totes designed by a local artist. We’d like to make this a recurring, quarterly feature by creating an Artists’ Tote Program. We are seeking Black Artists in Philadelphia to showcase their work, while donating 100% of the profits to charity + compensation for the artist. Reach out if this feels right for you. 💗
• We NEED to diversify our team. We know that and FYI, the help is NEEDED, right now. There are so many moving parts to AMJ and Ritual Shoppe, and we are looking to expand our team, and would love to in return specifically support POC that need jobs at this time. Please contact us at info@angelamonacojewelry.com with interest.
• Seeing as though the jewelry industry is primarily white, I will be making a point of teaching BIPOC jewelry design. We are partnering with a local school that houses kids specifically within the foster care system. Eventually, I will be mentoring and teaching group jewelry-making classes there.

This my friends is only the beginning for us...

I am making conscious efforts at this time to use my voice more as a white, privileged woman to elevate black voices. Especially a woman with a brand and business, I am eager and ready to do the work.

It’s not enough to think “I am not racist.” I have to be actively anti-racist. As I further educate myself, I now realize that in order to be an agent for change to something as layered as systemic racism, we ALL need to speak up and take action. This may look different for each of us, but it’s something we can all practice because THIS MUST STOP.

It’s time for a new direction; the RIGHT direction. I no longer want to be quiet. I no longer want to be unaware. I am optimistic about the future from here on out... to learn...To diversify.

This isn’t just a brief moment of looking inward, it’s really got to be a daily walk. We can do better. I can do better. Here’s to the start. 👊🏻👊🏼👊🏽👊🏾👊🏿🌈

I've gathered some resources on how to be an ally and actively anti-racist on my Instagram - follow along on the 'Resources' highlight.