Blog Post 9-6/16/2020
Is a Change Going to Come?
I’ve taken the past few weeks off from writing out of respect for the Black Lives Matter movement, and spent time trying to educate myself and listening to the voices of others. The current climate has caused me to think about my beauty niche, my little blog, and it seems so frivolous. Honestly, I’ve had a hard time thinking about what to write and how to come back with content that doesn’t ignore the past few weeks. I have to admit, I’m afraid I will say the wrong thing or not say enough. But I can’t write a new post without acknowledging what is happening to the black community and the ripple effect the past 2-3 weeks has had on the beauty industry.
I wanted to highlight a few things I’ve seen recently related to diversity and hopefully the start of change within the beauty industry. From a future-looking perspective, I wonder how the beauty industry will change, what commitments will companies be held accountable for and how this translates into the future of companies, innovation, new brands and products, and more because 40 shades of foundation really is the tip of the iceberg.
#PullUporShutUp
Sharon Chuter, CEO of UOMA Beauty.
I believe #PullUporShutUp is one of the realest movements that has caused the beauty industry to really look at itself. Sharon Chuter, founder and CEO of UOMA Beauty launched “Pull Up or Shut Up,” a campaign that calls for beauty companies to release the number of black employees at the corporate and executive levels. In an interview with Forbes she explains the idea behind the movement:
“The trigger for me was seeing all these brands post for George Floyd and blacking out their Instagram on Tuesday,” explains Chuter. “And I just thought, why are you absolving yourselves of the role you’ve played in creating this problem? How are you not seeing the connection between your depriving people of color of economic opportunities and the oppression?”
Essentially, don’t talk the diversity talk if you’re not actually a diverse company. This challenge was amplified by Youtuber and influencer, Jackie Aina, who challenged brands to participate. To no one’s surprise, the numbers released by brands are absolutely abysmal. The transparency has magnified what was already thought to be true: there is a diversity problem and companies can and need to do better. The PullUpforChange instagram account is re-posting all brands who have posted their numbers. It’s time for beauty brands to be the change and commit to long-term solutions.
15% Pledge
Sephora’s 15% Pledge
The 15% Pledge is a movement started by Aurora James, a Creative Director and founder of fashion brand, Brother Vellies. The initiative calls on major retailers like Target, Sephora and Whole Foods to make room on their shelves for Black-owned brands. The Instagram bio sums it up perfectly: “Black people in the U.S. make up nearly 15% of the population. We’re asking brands to pledge 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses.” Sephora is the first brand to commit to this pledge, announcing they will commit to dedicating 15% of shelf-space to black-owned companies and use their internal incubation program Accelerate to focus on women of color.
Media Coverage
For the first time, I am seeing an increase in beauty articles that are written by and for BIPOC. I get excited when I see articles like 10 Black-Owned Beauty Brands You Should Know About or Black Hair Stylists You Should Be Following. For me, this is literally new and important information that I would rather read than 5 Hot Nail Colors for Summer. As a beauty enthusiast, there is a lot I don’t know about, particularly around black hair care and styles. I want to be educated. But I’ve had to seek this information out myself (mainly through YouTube). I want to understand and learn. I want this information to be just as commonplace and continuously served to me just like 5 Hot Nail Colors for Summer is continuously served. There is literally an entire population whose beauty wants and needs are never discussed in mainstream media. This has to change.
I know there are a lot of other initiatives and challenges going on, but I hope it's the beginning of wider change to come. It’s one thing to say something but it’s another to take action and truly commit to equality, justice and opportunity.