One year In, HIT’s Mission to Give Voice to the Hardest to Reach Communities More Relevant Than Ever

A year ago today, we founded HIT Strategies to understand, mobilize, and communicate with the hardest to reach, marginalized communities. As two millennials of color working in politics, we didn’t see any firms committed to the communities that made up most of our friends, family, and associates. That’s why we started our own.

As we celebrate our first anniversary in business, it is also a somber occasion. Like much of the world, we were sidelined by COVID-19, then watched the brutal death of George Floyd on video, and now have to look no further than outside our windows to witness the transformation of America as thousands of young people protest against racial injustice in all 50 states.

We started HIT Strategies from a necessity to amplify the stories and voices of the communities that are often underrepresented and misunderstood, including millennials, minorities, women, and LGTBQ communities. Since we began working as political consultants, we saw how black and youth voices were excluded from traditional power institutions. Nobody was speaking directly to them. We noticed that black communities were fed up with the generations of structural racism and systemic oppression. We saw that many would choose to forego voting in numbers too high rather than decide between a Democrat or Republican. For over a year, young people and African Americans have talked to us about their floating anxiety for the future in our research and personal lives.

Now in large numbers, young, diverse people and African Americans have taken their anxiety to the streets, demanding accountability. It’s a full-circle moment for HIT Strategies. The outcry of anguish fortifies our purpose and reinforces why we started this firm precisely one year ago. It is as vital as ever to understand the black community’s motivations, beliefs, and diversity so that organizations, campaigns, and governments can effectively respond to their needs. As an all-person of the color firm, such lived experiences and issues are personal to us.

HIT aims to be a different type of company, elevating these voices to promote honest conversation around the structures that uphold racism and work to dismantle white supremacy. This first year, we have been proud to work with partners who share our values and our ambitious mission to empower underrepresented communities. With them, we are as committed as ever to serving the communities we come from and building social, economic, and political power within them.