Sephora Will Dedicate 15% Of Its Shelf Space For Black-Owned Brands
Sephora is stepping up! The beauty company just pledge to dedicate 15% of its shelf space to products from black-owned businesses!
Fashion designer Aurora James founded the “15% Pledge,” which is a nonprofit organization that asks retailers to commit to dedicating 15% of their inventory to Black-owned businesses. The Cosmetic giant is the first major retailer in the United States to take on her challenge.
“We are inspired to make the 15% Pledge because we believe it is the right thing to do,” said Artemis Patrick, Sephora’s chief merchandising officer. In a statement to CNN, Patrick explained that the company’s move is a commitment with a long term plan to diversify the company’s supply chain and build an environment and system that creates a better platform for black-owned brands to grow.
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James, the creator explained her initiative while speaking with Vogue Magazine:
“Part of why I created the 15% Pledge as an organization after I announced it as an idea was so that we could continue to stick around and actually hold them accountable and work with them in getting over the hiccups and the hangups that could come along the way. I’ve also committed to being a resource to some of these businesses to help them execute in a meaningful way,” James says. “That level of accountability is exactly why a company like Target would prefer to just donate $10 million instead of actually committing to a long-term change and committing to being accountable. I think that’s the difference between these donation requests versus the 15% Pledge.”
The pledge was sparked by a movement that began earlier this month following nationwide protests over the tragic death of George Floy, which created a national conversation about racial inequality in America.
Sephora now joins the very small list of brands that have actually taken the right action. Some brands have recently been called out for dropping loads of money to any organization in an effort to show that they stand in solidarity with the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
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