Defining Nugget's racial equity impact work
Our business at Nugget is Play.
We’re a play company that believes growing imaginations is only possible when kids have the right building blocks. By building blocks, we don’t (just) mean foam. We mean mutual respect. Kindness. Safety. Trust in your neighbors. Learning to take turns. Learning that there’s enough for everyone.
Coincidentally, these are all things we start learning at a young age, during playtime. Kids with big, healthy imaginations and strong play foundations can grow up to have the creativity and energy to be active, engaged community members — with the skills and determination to dismantle racism — a crooked system hindering our society and our children’s future.
At Nugget, we are passionate about using our products, our platform, and part of our profits to support play, potential, equity, and safety for Black families and individuals — communities whose future has been hampered by a system designed to serve others: those with a different zip code, skin color, or heritage.
Pursuing racial equity impact work as a company is no longer the trendy thing to do. But we didn’t start this racial equity work years ago because it was popular, and we won’t stop when, as is the case now, it becomes unpopular.
We vow to not lose sight of the goal: a caring and just society, where all children (and grownups) can experience the comfort and freedom to grow their imaginations. And we’re committed to keep moving toward that goal in every part of our business.
That goal is why we engaged an outside firm to conduct an equity audit of our policies and practices, so that we continuously work to be an organization with an equitable foundation — our definition of a healthy business.
It is also why leaders, managers, and anyone in an organizational support role has attended or will be attending training seminars with the Racial Equity Institute this year.
It’s why we have thoughtfully adopted policies big and small that recommit us, at every step, to equity and inclusion; for instance, whenever possible, we don’t require degrees in our job postings, recognizing there are racial disparities in access to higher education in the U.S.
Our goal of a caring and just society is why we’re excited to launch Talk Starters, a new year-round virtual live book club for parents and caregivers, to guide grownups (including our own employees!) on how to use storytime to spark meaningful conversations about race, social justice, and equity with the kids in their lives.
We sadly know some people have let their imaginations get smothered by fear, by exclusion, and by an undue sense of self-preservation.
Every time we send an email about Black Futures, a few of our customers decide that’s a step too far. They write to us, either politely or meanly, that they will no longer support our business.
If our values offend a grownup who, in turn, will not allow their child to play with one of our products, that hurts. It doesn’t hurt because we’ve lost a sale; it hurts because that child will miss out on the building blocks that we believe in so strongly. And it fuels us because it means we still have work to do.
We know dismantling racism may feel uphill and nearly impossible, but as it turns out, Playing the Long Game is one of our company values. So we’re going to keep going — learning, listening, and then practicing and reflecting. For as long as it takes, we’ll keep repeating this cycle.
We hope you’ll join us.
