BabyNames.com just made an impactful statement with a new and powerful homepage design. The update features a black box listing over 100 names of black Americans who were killed — many at the hands of law enforcement. The website usually features cute graphics and photos of babies looking adorable. It's a site aimed at helping parents pick baby names for their new additions. Now the company is using its platform to speak out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement that's been gaining momentum in the wake of George Floyd's tragic death.
"Each of these names was somebody's baby," the graphic reads. At the bottom of the box it says, "BabyNames.com stands in solidarity with the black community. #blacklivesmatter." During this tumultuous time, so many companies have decided to raise their voices in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. While it was once a controversial statement, "Black Lives Matter" is becoming more and more mainstream, and it's a beautiful thing to see.
It's incredible to see the movement gain so much support, and when it comes from companies that have stayed neutral on issues like racial tensions in the past, it's even more powerful. BabyNames.com is making a big impact with the new update.
"I saw the names listed on NPR, and they broke my heart. I knew then I wanted to include them in our company's statement," BabyNames.com founder Jennifer Moss told HuffPost. "I am a parent, and it just came from my heart." It's such an incredible move, and it shows that the people behind the website have a lot of compassion. It's exactly what we need more of in this world at the moment.
While some companies feel the need to speak out, maybe because it would negatively affect business if they didn't take a stand, BabyNames.com isn't one we'd really expect to hear from on the issue. That's probably why the move packs such a punch. "My goal was to make people understand that they aren't just names," Moss said. "They are human beings and were loved."
It's clear where BabyNames stands on the issues of our time. "BabyNames.com is a family-owned and operated company and this issue is important to us," Moss told Mashable. "We are grateful and humbled to have helped further the conversation about systemic racism and violence in this country."
The company didn't just post a new image on its site, though. It took its activism one step further. It began posting each individual name on Twitter, to make an even more powerful statement. It also added a donate button to its site, making it easier for people to give money to the movement.
It's lovely to see companies that we wouldn't expect to hear from raise their voices. Especially because it paves the way for others to start talking about race. While it might not seem that important for a baby name website to speak out, those are the actions that really go a long way. When support starts popping up everywhere, real change can begin to take place.
Many people are starting to feel hopeful that this is the time for change to really happen when it comes to racial discrimination in America. Individuals and businesses are lifting their voices and working hard to amplify the voices of black people. We still have an incredibly long way to go, but so many people are hard at work, fighting for justice and using their platforms to speak out.
Jennifer Moss and BabyNames.com definitely deserve praise for this beautiful action. It was wonderfully handled, because the statement cut right through the noise. It shows us that those individuals were all loved and cherished. They were, as the site so eloquently puts it, "somebody's baby."
Honoring these black Americans this way is a beautiful gesture, so it's nice to see that people seem generally supportive of the move. That, too, will help encourage others who may have been fearful to take their own actions or lift their own voices.
As for BabyNames.com, it totally raised the bar.
