Sakshi Sankaran, a rising senior, says the businesses “deserve our support and help.”
An Indian American rising high school senior has launched a fundraising campaign to help African American-owned businesses affected by the ongoing protests across the country in the past few weeks.
Many businesses, including ones owned by minorities, have suffered as a result of the violent protests. Chantilly, VA, resident Sakshi Sankaran, 17, started the fundraising effort last week. She is raising money on the crowd-funding portal gofundme and through an off-line campaign.
RELATED LINK: Sakshi Sankaran’s fundraising campaign
The teen’s goal is to raise at least $10,000. By Saturday afternoon, she has raised more than $3,000 coming from various donors through the gofundme platform.
“Many small minority-owned businesses have been negatively affected by the damages caused by looters and the riots,” Sankaran told the American Bazaar. “These small minority-owned businesses were already facing losses from the COVID-19 pandemic and now have to deal with damages faced by violent protestors. Right now it is important to understand why these protests are occurring and also aid those who have been negatively affected.”
Pointing out that “historically and contemporarily” African Americans have faced several accounts of racial inequality, the teenager said they “deserve our support and help.”
Sankaran, a student of John Champe High School in Aldie, VA, said that it is “frustrating to see that the people fighting for the injustices they face on a day to day basis have to see their own hard-earned businesses in flames” and that is the reason she decided to start the campaign. “I want to express my gratitude towards those who have generously donated thus far and joined me in this campaign to support those who are in need of support.”
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2 Comments
And what about the Asian American businesses who were targeted by the rioters and looters? Why is your sympathy so biased towards one race? Do they not all equally deserve our help?
Please, feel free to launch a fundraiser businesses that you wish to support. Doing something for someone is better than doing nothing for anyone. I commend the young teen on her efforts and that’s the important point…she’s doing something!