Sep 27, 2019
We Just Got Boycotted Because of Our Beliefs
LISA
Friday, September 27th marked a first in Krikawa Jewelry history. We were boycotted. After I got over my initial surprise and questions of why, my brain started spinning about my company’s position regarding, well, humanity.
I don’t consider my company to have a religious position, however, it is inevitable that my own personal beliefs flavor everything we do and frankly the people I hire. I suppose these ideals are not always known straightaway by the people that consider engaging our company to make the most meaningful ring they’ll ever own, as we don’t announce our beliefs at any point during a transaction. It has just never played into the process.
As a white anglo woman raised in Canada, California and Arizona, who went to college and became a successful entrepreneur doing what I love, I have to honestly (and apologetically) say that I can’t recall ever being discriminated against. The only thing that comes to mind, rather ironically, is a time I walked into a high end jewelry store, wearing my favorite jeans and t-shirt, and felt the snub of a haughty salesperson.
I easily avoid that behavior in my own company, as I've learned that hiring the right people makes all the difference. Actually, every morning here is the perfect beginning of a joke ... So this Mormon, black and gay person walk into a jewelry store...
While I can’t say that I had a fairytale childhood, discrimination was not part of my upbringing or vocabulary. I wasn’t raised to believe that one human being is better or worse than another. I was raised to believe --and still believe -- that we’re all simply “spiritual beings having a human experience,” to put it in the words of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.
I did find out as an adult that my own mother held prejudicial beliefs against others based on race, and whenever I think of some of the things she said it still makes me shiver. My mother was also, sadly, schizophrenic and fighting her own battles of mental illness discrimination. She’s passed away now, so I’ll give her a get out of jail free card. Anyway, she was entitled to her own beliefs, as is everyone else.
One of my favorite moments as a parent myself, was when my daughter Amelia was five, and she met my brother’s girlfriend, LeCarie, whom is now his life-partner and my business partner. LeCarie is a beautiful African-American woman. LeCarie and Amelia were having an in-depth conversation at the kitchen counter, when I heard LeCarie exclaim, “...well, because I’m black!” And my dear daughter replied, in wide-eyed shock, “You are?!” In truth, she didn’t even know what a “black” person was. I’d never thought to mention it. And LeCarie instantly fell in love with her.
Now, after 21 years in business, I’ve had a client actually "put the brakes on their order." Why? Because we support the LGBTQ community. My sales manager asked me how I would like our team to respond to this communication. Although I've never had to craft a response to this sort of comment, writing this blog has helped me formulate our official answer. We will treat this person just like we treat everyone we work with. With love.
We work with people in love, we create objects that symbolize love, and we believe in love. No gender preference, race, political affiliation or religious belief will ever shake that. We don't discriminate. Especially when it comes to love. Look Around
