WILLY’S & BGCMA TACO TALKS – Conversations for the dinner table around race & diversity
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At Willy’s, one of our core values is We R Family. It’s true we are a family-owned business, but this value
reaches beyond just one family – it applies to our team, our guests and our community. During the
summer months, the cry of social injustice and a need for change spoke loud and clear to us. George
Floyd could have been a member of our family and the pain was real.
It was at that time our leadership team committed to looking for ways to promote inclusivity and
diversity and not just check a box with a social post. As it turns out, we found that opportunity through
our partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Atlanta. We were discussing using our Taco Box to
include a promotional flyer about BGCMA and the great work they do for our youth. They expressed
concern for their clubs and how the current events were impacting kids in general. It was an aha
moment when they suggested using conversation starters in the Taco Box for families to discuss tough
topics at the dinner table, and so Taco Talks was born!
The youth professionals at BGCMA provided the questions for us to print a series of 10 unique cards that
we distributed in every Taco Box & Build-a-Bowl Box through 2020. We know we can’t solve such serious
and complex issues with a Taco Box, but our hope is to spark awareness and thoughtful discussion to
acknowledge any bias and work towards better understanding, especially for our future generations.
In case you missed them, here are a list of some of the questions we included. Just don’t forget to order
the tacos! 🙂
- Think of a time when someone made you feel different or out of place. How did you react?
- What are three of your unique qualities that you are grateful for?
- Do other people in your country have more rights than you?
- How would the world be different if everyone on the planet enjoyed the same rights and no
discrimination existed? - Can you think of an example of discrimination? Who benefits from it? Who is harmed?
- What can we do help people who are being treated unfairly?
- If you could create a perfect world what kind of people would you put in it? What characteristics
- How can we create positive change in the world we live in?
- Can you be close friends with someone of a different race, color, or nationality? Why or why
not? - How can we broaden our circle to include more diversity in our friend groups?