New Hampshire Businesses Say ‘No’ to Hatred

Date and Time

Thursday Feb 1, 2024
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EST

Location

Portsmouth Public Library
175 Parrott Ave, Portsmouth
Levenson Room

Fees/Admission

All are welcome.

New Hampshire Businesses Say ‘No’ to Hatred

This press event is a collaboration between the Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth, the Business Alliance for People of Color (BAPOC-NH), and Seacoast Outright.

In 2023, N.H. Seacoast based business people witnessed incidents of hatred directed at Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and the LGBTQ+ business owners. The most recent being an assault on Mamadou Dembele, an executive at Bangor Savings Bank in New Hampshire.

According to New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella, incidents of hatred stemming from racial, faith, and sexual orientation have risen exponentially since 2018 by 450%.

This cannot continue.

Businesses owned by BIPOC and LGBTQ+ community members in New Hampshire, as well as the general business community, are standing in solidarity and saying no to hatred of any kind.

New Hampshire has a strong and diverse business community that makes our high quality of life possible. Incidents of hate, beyond being just plain wrong, harm our ability to build and sustain businesses and attract and retain a skilled workforce.

Our quality of life is not built on fear, but on openness to diversity of thought and entrepreneurialism.

Our economic future and our quality of life go hand-in-hand and will be built on acceptance of difference in all its forms. That is the American way. That is our way.

We ask the business community to join us to say “no’”to hatred.

Speakers:

Ben VanCamp, President, Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth
Will Arvelo, Chair of the Business Alliance for People of Color (BAPOC-NH)
Dwight Davis, President of Senior Helpers

Panel discussion featuring:

Joanna Kelley, Assistant Mayor, City of Portsmouth, Owner of Cup of Joe
Lionel Loveless, Owner of Officially Knotted Bowties, The Collector's Eye, and Route 1 Antiques
Bill Blum, Owner of Pride Toolbox