Hey – I wrote this because I couldn’t find a guide on how to hold brands accountable and frankly, I needed a guide. So I did the best DIY I could, but I have blind spots! Please send me any info, suggestions, corrections so we can make this post the BEST it can be! This is a TEAM EFFORT!
Also – I couldn’t find a template for reaching out to brands and demanding accountability for inclusion and diversity, so I made one! Scroll down to Step II for the pdf or click here!
Let’s Get to Work
We are truly in an unprecedented maelstrom of change, the type that one day we’ll look back at and – hopefully – feel gratitude for all the pain that transformed us into something better. But for now: WE HAVE WORK TO DO FOLKS! Healing, encouraging, listening, allyship, self-care, kicking ass and taking names.
Kicking ass and taking names is the reason for today’s post. Calling out organizations for their apathy towards the anti-racism movement has been critical in uncovering systematic exclusion of people of color in business, especially Black people, and especially especially Black women. Brands have been caught with their pants down, so to speak, and have had to hustle to prove – convincingly or not – that foundational changes are in the works.
Calling Out the Apathy Behind Racism
I find myself stumbling on the phrase “apathy towards,” because the nature of apathy is that it is directed towards absolutely nothing. Apathy thrives on its own disconnect. It’s an island with no shores and no horizon. That seems to be the problem of the majority of the brands called out as being racially insensitive or exclusionary – a sort of contented blindness to the comfy dens they’ve created, echo chambers of the same voices they’ve grown accustomed to over the generations.
There are a few brands that are obnoxiously racist – Dolce and Gabbana, for one, which is why I never cover them on the blog – but many of them, until now, have been willfully ignorant that race is a Thing. It truly is an apathetic type of racism, a type of metastatic, ill-defined form that is harder to tackle in many ways than the confederate-flag-bearing stereotype (that, too, still exists today).
The point is that racism, be it structural, obvious, born of ignorance or comfort, whatever it may be, is embedded in How We Do Things. So “We,” the consumer, be us Black or ally, need to keep yanking at the stones of that foundation.
In short, we need to pitch a fit. Speak through truth and education, encourage brands to change their ways – and keep the Shame Stick in your back pocket to bop them on the head if they fail.
How to Hold Brands Accountable, Step I: Fact-Finding
As Papa Mendes would say, do your homework.
Think about the brands – be they fashion or otherwise – that you use. Do you know how they’ve responded to the Black Lives Matter movement? Have they released information on diversity and inclusion within their organization? Do they have a history of supporting Black employees and listening to Black customers? How diverse are they at their highest levels?
That’s a lot to think about, right? It’s daunting. But never fear! There are some warrior angels on Instagram who have done a LOT of legwork to get information out there.
Follow: Pull Up or Shut Up
Sharon Chuter, the founder of Uoma Beauty, started the Instagram account @pullupforchange. It’s a must-follow if you want to hold brands accountable for diversity and inclusion. Chuter’s page challenges brands to disclose diversity statistics at every level of their organization, then publishes the information for the public. It is such a simple exercise, but truly informative. It’s this type of data we need public to force organizations to recognize, hire, and include Black talent at every level.
Chuter explained in the video below what this means for the big picture, and it’s life-altering:
Once you know who the problematic players are – ESPECIALLY the brands you are already spending with – then you can take action.
Follow: The Fifteen Percent Pledge
Aurora James, founder of the incredible shoe and bag brand Brother Vellies, created another challenge: since nearly 15% of the population in the United States is Black, stores should dedicate 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned companies. It is simple, it is measurable, it is attainable, and it is frustrating that this idea is REVOLUTIONARY in 2020. But it is. Imagine the ripple-effects of Black-owned businesses being appropriately represented on the shelves of Sephora?
Oh wait – we won’t have to imagine. Sephora signed the pledge a few days ago (yay Sephora!). Sign the petition to stand with the Pledge here and follow their IG account to stay updated!
Next on James’s list? Target. Oh yes. All eyes on you, bullseye.
For the Runways: The Fashion Spot’s Diversity Report
I posted on this awhile back in this post, and it’s such a good resource that it bears repeating. Each season, the fashion news site The Fashion Spot analyzes diversity on the runways and it is very telling. Take yourself over to their site and check out their past few reports to see which designers are on the ball and which ones need improvement.
Talk and Share
I have learned SO much just from DM’ing with friends, sending posts and articles to each other, and interacting with people in the comments section on Instagram. Were I active on Facebook, it would be the same story – it’s a Choose Your Own Adventure Social Media situation.
For example, a friend sent me some posts from another style blogger, Andrea Flair. She’d compiled a list of problematic brands she won’t support until they bring about real changes. I found her lists SUPER helpful and informative – she’s also put more information in her Story highlights under “Racist Brands” (check out her list of BIPOC-owned brands, too!).
The world really is, despite how it seems, a small place. Word travels fast when we connect with each other. So share information, ask questions, and get informed! We all need to help each other out.
How to Hold Brands Accountable, Step II: Call Them Out
This is where you get to flex. When calling brands out, remember that you only have so much energy. Pick brands that you already spend with (at least to start). They are so much more likely to listen to existing customers who could withhold their cash. Simply said, they don’t want to lose your business! Yes, people are the worst, and shouldn’t have to be financially impacted in order to see the error in their ways. Unfortunately, this is what we’re working with right now. And, it seems, for the past few millennia.
The general consensus on calling brands out is thus: be honest and confront them with the facts. Their inaction in purposefully combating racism directly harms real people, and that’s not ok. Let them know that until they’ve publicly acknowledged their wrongdoing, disclosed their diversity data, and set up actionable steps for healing and inclusion, they will not get your money. You work too hard for it to give it away to racists.
On Instagram
Instagram is a great place to call out brands! You’re doing it in a public square, and the last thing a brand wants is a good old-fashioned public shaming. Comment in their photos, voice your concerns! Share your concerns in your Stories and tag them! They need to know that you are enraged and that everyone around you knows, too.
Same goes for Facebook: again, use whatever social media works for you.
Allies: remember, respect the Black community’s healing. Each person needs to cope differently with the stressors of not only the current situation, but lifelong stressors that non-POC and especially non-Black people can never understand. Some of your Black friends and family will need to sit this out – support them. There are others who need to shout from the rooftops – support them. But don’t bombard them with news of anti-Black brands or racist jerks in the comments (unless they’ve asked you too). It can be re-traumatizing, so respect that.
On Websites
Contacting brands through their websites can sometimes require a bit of sneakiness, depending on the company. You gotta find your “in”!
Many brands have a contact form available on their websites. If you don’t find it in their main menu, scroll all the way down to the bottom. There will usually be a “Contact Us” link. Use it!
Other ways to contact them include surveys (like this one from Revolve – I’ll address them separately in a different post), review sections, customer service email links. You may have to dig a bit – but you got this!
Need a Template to Reach Out to Brands? Here you go!
Sometimes you don’t have the words – I get it. That’s why sometimes my posts are whack here on the blog. I searched for a template to include here for reaching out to brands, and found ZERO. So I made one! Hit the “download” button below to get the pdf.
From there, you can copy and paste your text into your document. Make sure to replace your info in the bracketed sections, otherwise the letter won’t pack as much as a punch. Change what you like! Make it yours! Add the brand name in places where I said “your brand,” or “your organization.” You know, zhush it up.
I’m by NO MEANS an expert on inclusion and diversity – so if the letter can be improved, let me know and I’ll update it!
How to Hold Brands Accountable, Step III: Withhold Your Sweet, Sweet Cash – and Spend Instead with Black-Owned Businesses
Now it’s your turn: put your money where your mouth is! If at all possible, stop spending with brands that have let the Black community down. Let them feel it – for many brands, it comes down to financials. Spend instead with businesses that prioritize diversity and inclusion, or better yet, with Black-owned businesses.
Check out this post for resources on finding amazing Black-owned businesses, as well as other anti-racism content. Also look through Pull Up or Shut Up’s library of businesses on IG (linked above) to get current info on which companies have diverse leadership and are showing up for the Black community.
How to Hold Brands Accountable, Step IV: Keep Tabs
Stay up to date on which brands – be they fashion or not – are making changes. Redemption is possible! Keep following the leading Instagram accounts like Pull Up or Shut Up and the (in)famous Diet Prada, a fashion watchdog and tends to speak up on social issues. I’ll post updates as they come in as well!
Anything you’d add? What brands are you holding accountable?
love,
Stig.
PS. For templates on how to hold employers and educational institutions accountable, follow Rachel Cargle’s The Great Unlearn. Actually, follow it regardless – her activism is what we need right now.
