Black Lives Matter

A note about where we stand:

In May and June 2020, our team, along with many people across the world, collectively began to face the recent police murders of Black people including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Elijah McClain, and David McAtee. And like many, we chose to pause and redirect our energy into confronting systemic racism and white supremacy in our personal and professional lives. We’re still deep in the process of doing this lifelong work.

At Cowboy, we believe in equity and liberation for all, and we are committed to participating in dismantling racism. As a company owned and operated by white and mixed-race women, we have undoubtedly benefited from racialized capitalism. While this definitely isn’t an endorsement for communism, we do believe that capitalism could not exist as it does today without race-based slavery and the continued systemic oppression of people of color. We are prepared to challenge exploitation, meritocracy, individualism, and patriarchal beliefs–both subtle and overt–in our work environment.

Black lives matter, now and always. We stand with the Black community, now and always. There are not enough Black and Brown faces behind the camera, or in creative leadership positions in our trade. It has always been important to us to foster diversity in what we've long recognized as an industry with a culture problem—and one that is controlled by a homogeneous demographic. We will continue to advocate intentionally for diverse representation and equal pay.

While we’re here, let's take a minute to address our name. We chose "Cowboy" not to honor or memorialize the white man, nor to assimilate or celebrate a legacy of masculinity. Instead, we stake an antithetical claim to the name with the objective of redefining what strength, persistence, tenacity, and a committed work ethic looks like. We care about our fellow humans, the environment, justice, and integrity.

Our fight for equality does not stop here. We are committed to ongoing action, learning, and doing better.

- Natalia