Supporting local BIPOC-owned businesses at Catlin Gabel and in your own neighborhood
By Zoë Waechter ‘21
Photo courtesy of Paul Sableman
On Sept. 10, in response to our nation's recent and powerful outcry for racial justice, Catlin Gabel School (CGS) Head Tim Bazemore, sent out a schoolwide email containing a statement and draft for potential plans to make CGS an antiracist institution.
The email mentioned that CGS planned to support BIPOC–owned businesses and vendors in the Portland community, saying, “Auditing our vendor list and creating a new policy to increase investment in BIPOC-owned businesses.”
Chief Financial Officer Terry Murphy explained further what the policy means.
“We would not exclusively focus on only BIPOC vendors; rather it would be one of the lenses used in our selection process,” he said.
Although CGS is looking for new ways to support BIPOC vendors, one company that will be familiar to many and plays a major role in the community has already been employed.
“We utilize a number of BIPOC vendors,” explained Murphy. “An example is SAGE Dining Services. SAGE is the nation’s largest minority Owned food and facilities management company. It was founded and is co-owned by husband and wife Paco & Christina Rodriguez. Each is active in the company.”
Most can agree that buying from local businesses is important. However, there can be challenges to supporting new vendors.
Jasmine Love, the Director of Inclusion and Outreach at CGS, talked about some potential challenges of using a smaller business to buy books for school, for instance.
“Some of the potential setbacks can be if the vendor providing the books does not have a huge supply or if their prices are higher than a larger supplier,” Love explained.
The incentive to forgo smaller businesses in favor of larger ones usually comes down to money and time, but the money is worth it according to Love.
“I am willing to pay a higher price to utilize a vendor of color,” she said.
Supporting local BIPOC-owned businesses in your own neighborhood has many benefits including helping to decrease the racial wealth gap and supporting the local economy.
Below are links to several articles and websites that list different, local BIPOC-owned businesses– from food to clothes to cosmetics to services. As Eden Dawn says in their Portland Monthly article, “Buy from these Black-Owned Brands,” “Put your money where your social media outrage is.”
“Support Oregon’s Black-Owned Businesses” by Kay Kingsman, Travel Oregon
“Buy from These Black-Owned Businesses” by Eden Dawn, Portland Monthly
“Local BIPOC-Owned Businesses,” by Mississippi Ave
“A Roundup of Guides to Portland Area’s Black Owned Restaurants,” by Brooke Jackson-Glidden, Eater