HACKER Q&A
📣 perfmode

Does Y Combinator support Black Lives Matter?


Netflix recently stated on its Twitter account: “To be silent is to be complicit. Black lives matter. We have a platform, and we have a duty to our Black members, employees, creators and talent to speak up.”

Stripe: "Racism is antithetical to Stripe’s mission. We stand with the Black community against discrimination and police violence."

Google: "We stand in support of racial equality, and all those who search for it."

Amazon: "the inequitable and brutal treatment of African Americans in the U.S. must stop..."

Intel: "Standing on the sidelines is not an option. Today we are pledging $1 million in support of efforts to address social injustice and anti-racism. #blacklivesmatter"

Does YC? Do the views of members of the HN community reflect those of YC? These are honest questions intended to promote discussion.


  👤 seesawtron Accepted Answer ✓
I see this as a passive aggressive question, not a question to promote discussion. You ask a question to which no one would answer NO. Yet you imply that by not making a public statement, YC's default answer is NO. Hence tricking them into follow suit like the firms you listed to do the same.

👤 anton96
I kinda used to , but seeing the increasing amount of identity left content , I decided the step out and not post anything supportive.

I really couldn't understand that 'hey you white do this' style but that was nothing against the fact that people calmly asking why using this were firmly opposed.

What I really don't accept is that I can't debate because I'm white.The inability to debate is something I really can't and of course that wasn't explained to me.

I tried to read some new 'educative' content but I really keep seeing a generalized anti-white tone across everything I read.

Heck I also read that white should shut up if someone tell them that something is racist or homophobic , as gay white if someone would say something that would homophobic and I would tell them but if it wasn't mean or if it was unintentional I would gladly explain them what the problem is.

I guess that among BLM or everything related there are certainly a lot people who want to talk but in my web social environment I don't want to side with them.

But I'll be glad to speak bout it here , in a more anynomous environement.


👤 tomhoward
Y Combinator Core's CEO [1] is African-American, and he posted this to HN in the past 2 days (as well as submitting the main article):

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23380748

I know from having been in the YC community for over 10 years, that a lot of effort goes into identifying and supporting startups founded by PoC and/or servicing particular needs of PoC communities, as well as raising awareness and providing education with a view to increasing startup participation and success among PoC in the long term.

I know they wish they could do more, and that they keep working to figure out ways they can do more.

Individual partners are supporting the cause in their own way (YC chairman Sam Altman posted in Instagram earlier).

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Seibel


👤 austincheney
I cannot support any organization that opposes use of body cams: https://m4bl.org/policy-platforms/end-the-war-on-black-peopl...

👤 eucryphia
This is pointless.

Because you didn't mention white lives, does that mean you want all white people killed?

All lives matter; the lives of police suspects, the lives of police, the livelihoods of shopkeepers and their employees, the livelihoods of customers of those shops who now face higher prices to pay for the theft and higher insurance premiums.

Don't be drawn in by those who foment unrest, be suspicious of their motives.


👤 mydongle
I believe black lives matter in the grand scheme of things. I don't care about the group, if anything they've only done harm to their cause.

Due to recent events and seeing all the footage coming out, I can say it has all proved the value of the 2nd amendment. So many cases where innocent bystanders are simply at the mercy of rioters and looters and cops not being allowed to act due to fear of racism accusations and sparking more violence. On the other hand, there are also cases where people with guns were able to defend themselves and their businesses from these streetwalking ghouls.