Hello Alice is being sued by right-wing troublemakers, Why? For helping BIPOC and disabled businesses with grants to help their businesses.
This seems anti-business, and even a bit racist and ablest. Here is my small business response: Dear Friends, In a world where entrepreneurship should be celebrated, it’s disheartening to see organizations like Hello Alice, dedicated to fostering equality and providing opportunities, facing legal challenges from groups like America First Legal (AFL).
This not only threatens Hello Alice’s mission but also undermines the very essence of the American Dream for countless small business owners. Hello Alice, driven by the vision of equal opportunities for all, recently found itself entangled in a lawsuit initiated by AFL, led by Stephen Miller and Jonathan Mitchell.
The allegation? That Hello Alice’s collaboration with Progressive Insurance, resulting in $25,000 grants for ten Black-owned small businesses, somehow violates civil rights. It’s a perplexing stance that seems to defy the principles of fairness and inclusivity. AFL’s actions, as highlighted in their legal pursuits against various programs benefiting marginalized communities, suggest a broader agenda.
By attacking initiatives supporting Native American, Latino, and Black small business owners, they reveal a disturbing trend of using legal means to stifle diversity and inclusion efforts. This includes pulling funding from programs designed to aid U.S. Veterans, a group that has served our country with distinction.
The heart of the matter is AFL’s claim that “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” are merely “gentle-sounding euphemisms” masking a hidden agenda.
Hello Alice stands firm in asserting that these values are not empty phrases but the very foundation upon which their mission is built. Their commitment is to drive capital, connections, and opportunities into the hands of small businesses from all walks of life.
This isn’t an isolated incident. The weaponization of the legal system to obstruct aid to minorities facing systemic challenges and overt discrimination is a trend that echoes across the country.
MAGA-type conservatives are leveraging legal avenues, as evidenced by the recent 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in Atlanta, which ordered Fearless Fund to pause grant applications supporting Black female founders amid allegations of racial discrimination. You read that right.
As advocates for justice and equality, we must stand against these attempts to restrict opportunities for BIPOC and disabled entrepreneurs. It’s imperative to raise awareness, urge our legislators to take action, and monitor the actors behind these legal maneuvers. By doing so, we can ensure that the American Dream remains attainable for all, regardless of race, gender, or ability.
Spread the word by nominating a small business or applying for the Hello Alice American Dream Awards and Grant program. Share your stories using #ElevateTheAmericanDream and join the movement to champion equality. Together, let’s make it impossible for divisive forces to undermine the value and commitment of our diverse small business community.
#HelloAlice #FearlessFund
In solidarity,
Edmund Janas
Brego.com
