Black Lives Matter
Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. — James Baldwin
Like everyone, we at Noom are horrified by the senseless killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, just in the last few weeks. And we are outraged at the persistent reality of racial injustice that the murder of these Black Americans—and so many more whose names are both known and unknown to us—reflects. The crisis of our current moment in history is both distressingly familiar and uniquely shocking. Each of us is being called upon to come face to face with the pervasiveness and the brutality of racism felt by Black Americans every single day. And we are all being called upon to take action to initiate real change, and to make Black Lives Matter a reality, not just a movement.
Noom’s mission is to help our users lead healthier lives through behavior change. We focus on health holistically, and we recognize that these times have created an additional burden on the community’s mental and emotional well-being. We’ve spent a lot of time this past week reflecting on this mission, on our values, and listening to Noomers to see how we can leverage the principles of behavior change—personal, organizational, and societal—to be allies to Black and Brown communities, and to contribute to the changes that are so necessary for us to make a lasting change. Here are some of the early efforts we’ve committed to in order to put our values into action. These represent a first step in our commitment to contribute to meaningful change:
1. DONATING
We’ve made a $100,000 donation to the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, America’s premier organization fighting for racial justice.
2. AMPLIFYING VOICES
Noom is committed to being an ally to Black communities and being more vocal about our efforts and investments in issues of inequality. We will be taking this week off from posting Noom content on our social channels (@noom), and instead using these spaces to amplify voices from within these communities. We will be sharing information, resources, and perspectives specifically in the space of health and wellness so that each of us can listen and learn.
3. HEALTHIER LIVES — FOR EVERYONE
COVID-19 made clear what many of us already know: one of the places racism is felt most starkly in America is in racial health disparities. Noom is built on addressing barriers to behavior change and improved health outcomes, and we’re dedicated to continuing to explore the unique organizational and social barriers that are felt by the Black community, and initiatives that address these disparities.
Noom is also continually committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of our employees, and we’ve instituted 5 additional days of Personal Wellness PTO to allow our employees time and space to restore their physical, psychological, and emotional health, and in turn, better support our Noomers.
Finally, and above all, we are here to listen, to learn, and to engage in conversation. We invite and welcome any and all feedback or ideas on what we can continue to do better, and what we can do to support you in the process. Reach out to us at reviewsupport@noom.com.
In solidarity,
Your Noomily
