Retailers are working to address systemic racism with actions that go beyond supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.
A new campaign known as “The 15% Pledge” aims to increase the percentage of merchandise produced and supplied by Black-owned companies to 15%. The percentage chosen for the campaign approximately equals the percentage of the U.S. population made up by Blacks. The campaign also is paying attention to the percentage of corporate leadership under the direction of Blacks.
A recent article in RetailDrive citied Target and Sephora as two companies that have shown promise in either committing to the pledge or making moves in the direction of increased business with and for Blacks. Target expanded its beauty products to offer more options for consumers of color, including several Black-owned beauty brands, and in 2018 held a beauty accelerator to mentor brands, with a focus on those run by and for people of color, according to RetailDive.
