These Brands Aren't Staying Silent on Black Lives

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit the U.S., brands quickly stepped up to reassure frightened Americans that they were there for them. In countless campaigns, brands let the public know that they were helping by donating money, making masks and giving consumers grace periods on things like utility and mortgage payments. But when black Americans are being killed—whether by police as in the case of Minnesota's George Floyd, who was suffocated by a white police officer who pinned him down by kneeling on his neck on Monday, or in incidents like the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, who was chased and fatally shot by three white neighbors while out on a run in his Georgia neighborhood on Feb. 23—the silence of the corporate world can be deafening. On Friday, the American Psychological Association issued a statement calling racism a pandemic. "We are living in a racism pandemic, which is taking a heavy psychological toll on our African American citizens. The health consequences are dire," said APA president Sandra Shullman. "Racism is associated with a host of psychological consequences, including depression, anxiety and other serious, sometimes debilitating conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder and substance use disorders. Moreover, the stress caused by racism can contribute to the development of cardiovascular and other physical diseases." Unlike Covid-19, however, the pandemic of racism isn't new to America. Protests against police killings of black men flood the streets of U.S. cities year after year, yet little changes. And corporations that often preach diversity and inclusion tend to remain oddly silent. Minneapolis is still reeling today after extensive property damage that happened during the protests, including a police precinct being set on fire and a Target getting looted, among other retailers. Protesters were shot Thursday in both Louisville, Ky., where they gathered to demand justice for Breonna Taylor, a black EMT who was fatally shot in her apartment when armed white police officers came in after midnight looking for narcotics in March (no drugs were ever found), and in Denver as protesters gathered demanding justice for George Floyd. While a majority of brands have remained silent, some are coming forward to align with protesters and take a firm stance against racism. Nike, which backed former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kapernick in a high-profile 2018 campaign, weighed in with a new ad that launched about 7 p.m. Friday. The creative from the brand's agency, Wieden + Kennedy Portland, takes a simple approach (black background and white lettering, with a swoosh lockup at the end) but with powerful words. [kickout id="11"] As expected—and similar to the brand's experience with Kaepernick—reviews were mixed. Make Love Not Porn founder Cindy Gallop pointed out that Nike's executive team is white (the board, however, includes several African Americans) and implored change. [kickout id="12"] Nike competitor Reebok provided its own statement, with an Instagram post that stated: "Without the black community, Reebok would not exist. America would not exist." The second image in the trio from the Adidas-owned athletic brand read: "We are not asking you to buy our shoes. We are asking you to walk in someone else's." [kickout id="13"] YouTube pledged $1 million "in support of efforts to address social justice," though it's not exactly clear where the funds are going or what the plan might entail. [kickout id="14"] In a tweet, media activism organization Sleeping Giants said: "Your hypocrisy knows no bounds. As a platform that has done its very best to avoid having to remove any videos from racists, white supremacists and hate mongers, you should be ashamed of even tweeting about this. Too little, too late." [kickout id="15"] Ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's took a characteristically bold step forward on Thursday, four years after it issued a similar statement in support of Black Lives Matter protests in Ferguson, Miss., and after launching a campaign in 2019 with Lush to bail black mothers out of jail for Mother's Day. [kickout id="10"] The purpose-driven brand said in a blog post that it "understand[s] that numerous black Americans and white Americans have profoundly different experiences and outcomes with law enforcement and the criminal justice system. That’s why it’s become clear to us at Ben & Jerry’s that we have a moral obligation to take a stand now for justice and for black lives." While the ice cream brand's statement was less than surprising (after all, racial justice is listed as a core value on its website and Ben & Jerry's partners with Color of Change and the NAACP), it was new to see several fashion and beauty brands speak up as well. U.K.-based fashion line Pretty Little Thing, made famous by a partnership with Kourtney Kardashian, tweeted an image of a white hand grasping a black hand, saying in the caption that "we understand we have a duty of care to talk about topics other than just fashion and lifestyle news." The design was quickly criticized by black Twitter users for the shade of the hand and fingernails, and the tweet was removed a few hours after it went up. [kickout id="1"] Pretty Little Thing's parent company Boohoo Group did not respond to requests for comment. Other lifestyle brands also jumped in, with cosmetics brand Milk Makeup tweeting a message of support for the Black Lives Matter movement, and astrology app Co-Star sharing a long list of bail fundraisers for various protest groups across the country. [kickout id="2"] After beauty blogger and YouTuber Jackie Aina posted an Instagram Story to her 1.5 million followers calling on brands that cater to the black community to step up, she announced on Twitter Friday that the CEO of Fashion Nova, Richard Saghian, had called her to discuss the best way to address the current state of affairs. [kickout id="3"] Music brands that market to the black community were among the most prevalent voices. Motown Records and parent company Capitol Music Group posted identical Black Lives Matter graphics with the hashtag #GeorgeFloyd. Another Universal Music Group subsidiary, Def Jam Recordings, went further, issuing a statement that said the company pledged "ourselves, our voices and our work to aid in this fight. This brutality and inhumanity must stop." [kickout id="6"] Tech companies spoke out on social media, too, with digital services company PagerDuty saying it "stands with the black community against racism, violence and hate." Marketing brand HubSpot issued a statement saying the company "believe[s] in equality and justice" and stands "with the black community against violence and racism, now more than ever." [kickout id="4"] Through Wednesday and Thursday, as protests over Floyd's killing began to heat up, three Minnesota sports teams issued statements after their athletes spoke out on social media. On Wednesday, the Minnesota Vikings NFL team said, "We are deeply saddened by the loss of life that occurred Monday evening just blocks from our stadium. Everyone in our community deserves the right to feel protected and safe. Our thoughts are with the George Floyd family and all individuals who have been affected by this tragedy." [kickout id="7"] Photojournalist Evan Frost tweeted a powerful photo that day of former Vikings defensive back and 2006 Super Bowl champion Tyrone Carter on the front lines of the protest decked out in a life vest and helmet. [kickout id="5"] The MLB's Minnesota Twins and NFL's Minnesota Timberwolves teams followed suit, with statements condemning Floyd's death. “We are deeply saddened by the tragic and senseless death of George Floyd on Monday night in Minneapolis," read a Thursday statement from the Twin's Twitter account. "The Minnesota Twins send our deepest sympathies to the Floyd family and join with our Twin Cities community in mourning." [kickout id="8"] A statement from the Timberwolves came the same day that retired player Stephen Jackson revealed his heartbreak over the killing of Floyd, who he called his "best friend" and said was like a "twin." “Our community is grieving the senseless tragedy and death of George Floyd," read the statement. "The entire Timberwolves and Lynx organization shares its deepest sympathy with the Floyd family. We will work tirelessly to use our voices to influence change, encourage healing and promote thoughtful action as we move forward.” [kickout id="9"] While more companies are likely to issue similar statements of support for the black community as the protests continue, it remains to be seen whether the biggest global brands will step up to the plate—and if they do, which brands, big or small, will find ways to turn these words into action.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

These Brands Are Speaking Out Against Racism on Social Media

It's a deviation from how companies usually ignore politicized moments

Mary Emily O'Hara

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Mary Emily O'Hara