A letter from Founder and President, Alexandra Cherubini

June 09, 2020

EquiFit Founder and President, Alexandra Cherubini, walking away from the camera with her husband and their two dogs.

The recent Chronicle of the Horse articles have sparked much needed and long overdue dialog in our industry. For those of you that know me personally or are intimate with the EquiFit brand, know our position on this subject matter, perhaps you even have the 2015 version of our Give Racism The Boot T-Shirt.

For those less familiar, we stand against inequality and racism with a zero tolerance policy, holding all employees, partners, and vendors accountable. To be held accountable means we expect there to be an open mind, a willingness to listen, an understanding that research and education are necessary, and we must all take action.

Now is the time for each of us to attempt to understand the truth and to listen to what members of all generations are saying. Actively listen. Be vulnerable and know that it's okay to admit that you have work to do to.

It is all of our responsibilities to educate ourselves. Do the Work. Resources and educational materials are boundless right now. I acknowledge that we are all coming from and starting from different points, but continued education and action are imperative.

To Listen and Research are the first steps to taking action, but we need to do more. While EquiFit has been proud to support many organizations such as City to Saddle and has been active with our voice, I recognize the need to do more, consistently.

Our first step is to be a resource by providing materials that will help educate our industry. We will continue to encourage and participate in open dialogs. Our partnership with the Compton Cowboys and the Compton Jr. Equestrians will continue beyond the proceeds from our 2020 Give Racism the Boot T-Shirts. The EquiFit brand will continue to be a platform for change.

Alexandra Cherubini,

Founder and President, EquiFit

Resources: A curated list of materials in different mediums that I encourage you to start with.

Books:

Between the World And Me- Ta-Nehisi Coates

Citizen: An American Lyric - Claudia Rankine

Invisible Man- Ralph Ellison

Notes of a Native Son- James Baldwin

The Condemnation of Blackness - Khalil Gibran Muhammed

The History of White People- Nell Irvin Painter

Videos:

How I learned to stop worrying and love talking about Race - Jay Smooth