We all have a duty to improve the world.

Like most of us, I’ve been thinking a lot this year about America’s desperate need for justice and equity.

Recently, SourceCode and three other firms announced the Diversity Marketing Consortium, which will work with Harlem Capital Partners to offer diverse startups free marketing and PR services over the next few years. The Consortium has committed to provide $1.5 million of services to selected ventures.

For the companies in our small group, $1.5 million is a huge sum. SourceCode and its partners in the Diversity Marketing Consortium don’t have the resources of Bank of America or the National Basketball Association or Walmart or Twitter. And that’s really the point of this post. As individual small businesses, we’re unlikely to be discussed on CNN or make the front page of the New York Times, but we’re still playing a key role in fixing our society.

Change doesn’t happen because the Fortune 500 dictates it. Change happens when individuals around the country and around the world make small decisions that, together, constitute a major shift. A coffee shop can put up signs in its front window, an independent theater can program Black-directed films in its virtual cinema, a gallery owner can choose to display more diverse artists, and PR professionals can offer pro bono services to minority business founders. Any person, in any industry, in any capacity, has the power to help.

If you’re a fellow public relations or communications professional, I hope you’ll look at our Consortium and find some inspiration. If you’re in another industry, I hope you’ll consider what you can offer at this vital moment.