Join the conversation on Yammer!

At some point in our lives, we’ve all felt like we didn’t belong. For people who have moved to the United States from another country, that feeling can last more than a moment.

Six in 10 Americans (58%) say the U.S. feels very divided today and more than 40% of Americans feel that their trust in other people is worse because of the pandemic.*

Belonging Begins With Us is a PSA from the Love Has No Labels campaign to encourage everyone to foster a more welcoming community. This new work features exclusive new music from Lake Street Dive, covering Joe South's 1968 hit "Walk a Mile in My Shoes." Lake Street Dive appears courtesy of Nonesuch Records.

Our communities are stronger when we make connections across our differences. We make communities better when we are good neighbors.

State Farm^® is a Love Has No Labels brand partner. We provide support by promoting content across our channels. In addition to funding the campaign, we show support during the year through online and offline activations. These include social messaging, custom content creation and employee engagement events.

*Source: More in Common, September 2020

Six in 10 Americans (58%) say the U.S. feels very divided today and more than 40% of Americans feel that their trust in other people is worse because of the pandemic.*

Belonging Begins With Us is a PSA from the Love Has No Labels campaign to encourage everyone to foster a more welcoming community. This new work features exclusive new music from Lake Street Dive, covering Joe South's 1968 hit "Walk a Mile in My Shoes." Lake Street Dive appears courtesy of Nonesuch Records.

Our communities are stronger when we make connections across our differences. We make communities better when we are good neighbors.

State Farm^® is a Love Has No Labels brand partner. We provide support by promoting content across our channels. In addition to funding the campaign, we show support during the year through online and offline activations. These include social messaging, custom content creation and employee engagement events.

*Source: More in Common, September 2020

To promote change State Farm is pledging $100 million over five years to support minority communities and issues of racial equity and justice. This is just one part of the insurer’s ongoing efforts to bring about change.

“State Farm has a long history and commitment to social justice,” said Victor Terry, Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President of Public Affairs at State Farm. “Today, we take our latest step in this important journey. Doing nothing is unacceptable. Powerful solutions must be brought to the table, and we need a lot of people at the table, too.”

The $100 million contribution will support a variety of community-focused projects, including small business support, funding for affordable housing programs, and educational advancement programs. Funds will be a combination of charitable contributions and community investments.

“This pledge is truly a continuation of our historical, nearly 100 year-support of organizations that help to meet the most pressing needs of the communities where we live and work,” said Terry.

That near 100-year history has included support for affordable housing and economic empowerment for underprivileged communities across the United States. One such organization is the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). During the 20-year relationship, State Farm has invested $149 million in LISC’s community development programs. Just this year, State Farm provided LISC  $10 million in COVID-19 small business funding for Illinois companies struggling in the wake of a global pandemic.

How did it play in Peoria?

This funding will boost under-invested communities and their residents. One example of its impact is Young’s Popcorn Heaven, a minority, female-owned, gourmet popcorn shop in Peoria, IL. Owners, JoAnn and Greg Young, opened their shop in 2015, and like many new, small businesses, they worked hard to achieve a positive cash flow.

The retired state employee and construction tradesman always dreamt of owning their own business. After saving for years, they finally opened Popcorn Heaven. Then, in 2019, they faced a 50% monthly lease increase and began exploring new locations for their business.

After finding a building and researching different financing options, the Young’s came across LISC. Using State Farm funds, LISC provided a $165,000 loan to purchase and renovate a new building.

“The loan helped me increase my production and sales. My new property is in a more trafficked area, it’s a lot bigger and better for social distancing,” shared Young. “But more importantly, it saved two full-time and five part-time jobs, and decreased our overall expenses. It’s also helping us get through the pandemic, when lots of businesses are closing their doors permanently.”

Equity gaps exacerbated during COVID-19

• The pandemic created a lot of difficulty for small businesses; 15% have closed their doors permanently. Minority-owned businesses were hit worse: more than 26% of Black- and 19% of Latino-owned businesses have closed.¹
• Many American workers lost their jobs or had wages cut significantly as well. Hispanic adults were hit the hardest, 61% of Hispanic adults stating they or someone in their household either lost their job or received less wages – compared to 44% of African Americans and 38% of Whites.^.2

“State Farm helps people realize their dreams. But when some people don’t have the resources to get on a path toward accomplishing their goals – be it an education, an affordable home, or a chance to start the business of their dreams – we strive to be part of the solution,” said Terry.

Sources: ^1-Brookings Institute  ^2-Accion Opportunity Fund

“Fight the Virus. Fight the Bias.” is an extension of the iconic Love Has No Labels campaign. The film challenges viewers to join the fight in stopping the spread of racism and discrimination against the API community. It highlights the personal stories and resilience of diverse individuals from the API community. Many have personally experienced heightened discrimination and/or harassment throughout the pandemic.

“At a time when hateful rhetoric and racially-fueled discrimination are plaguing the API community, it’s critical that we all play a role in dispelling the racist misconceptions and actions pervading our country,” said Ad Council President and CEO Lisa Sherman. “We hope this film will inspire Americans to rethink their biases and help put an end to the wave of racism facing the API community.”

State Farm^® is a Love Has No Labels brand partner. We provide support by promoting content across our channels. In addition to funding the campaign, we show support during the year through online and offline activations. These include social messaging, custom content creation and employee engagement events.

Learn more about the movement at lovehasnolabels.com/fightvirusbias. 

*Numbers are regularly updated at StopAAPIHate.com.

The spot builds on the campaign’s longstanding effort to address bias. It holds a mirror to the simple acts of freedom often celebrated and taken for granted by non-Black Americans. It then reveals the stark contrast of those freedoms to the systemic racism and injustice many Black people endure.

The campaign encourages viewers to come together for racial justice. It also directs to lovehasnolabels.com for educational and actionable resources to help continue the work toward equality.

“The campaign’s message is very simple yet profound: we all have a role to play in dismantling systemic racism in this country,” said Lisa Sherman, president & CEO of the Ad Council. “It’s time for Americans to listen, learn and act. While we know these long-simmering problems are nothing new, we want to leverage this moment in time, a national reckoning with race, and inspire change.”

State Farm^® is a brand partner for Love Has No Labels. Brand partners provide support by promoting content across our channels. In addition to funding the campaign, we show support during the year through online and offline activations. These include social messaging, custom content creation and employee engagement events.