Five Companies Actually Making Changes To Dismantle White Supremacy

Published on June 24, 2020
Source: 123RF.com

The death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department sparked a wave of protests worldwide. The resulting commitment of global businesses to the Black Lives Matter movement were called into question. Sure it meant something that companies were posting statements in support of the movement on social media, but were they actually committed to matching their words to their actions? Here are five business that said, “Black lives matter,” and actually meant it by matching their actions to their words.

  1. Sephora
Source: Oceanpop.com

The popular beauty store has taken several stops to show their support. One of the coolest things the company has done is allow its reward members to use their points to make a donation to the National Black Justice Coalition. The organization works to empower Black LGBTQ+ people and also those who have been living with HIV/AIDS. (Per a report from Seventeen.com.)

Another way Sephora has actually taken action is their one million dollar donation to several charities and organizations dedicated to helping the Black community. Sephora has also stated that they intend to dedicate 15 percent of its shelf space to Black owned beauty brands.

2. Nascar

Source: Spectrum Local News

Nascar banned the Confederate flag all of its races and properties, according to The New York Times, thanks to Black Nascar driver Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr speaking out. Brehaana Daniels, the first Black woman to work in a NASCAR pit crew (which she has been doing for four years) welcomed the change. Wallace raced with a “Black Lives Matter,” paint job on his car during a race. Hopefully NASCAR will take even more steps in the name of diversity. (And to be fair, many would argue why NASCAR didn’t ban the Confederate flag in the first place.)

Unfortunately Wallace recently became the victim of a heinous hate crime that NASCAR has said is currently under investigation. Wallace discovered a noose in his garage after speaking out about the Confederate flag issue.

3. Netflix

Source: The Verge

One of the best things Netflix did was to add a Black Lives Matter section as its own genre to their streaming catalog for subscribers. From Ava DuVernay’s 13th to When They See Us, the options available make it easy for subscribers to educate themselves in an incredibly easy way. Netflix has also pledged 5 million dollars to support Black creators and organizations.

The company has also spent the last several years snatching up a ton of content from independent, black filmmakers at festivals like Sundance Film Festival, and even launched a partnership with Barack and Michelle Obama to uplift voices from people of color, specifically those in the Black community.

4. Supermodel Joan Smalls

Source: Wikipedia

The first Latina supermodel to represent Estee Lauder cosmetics pledged to donate half of her wages this year to the Black Lives Matter movement. Smalls also launched a website donatemywage.org to encourage others in the fashion and entertainment industries to do the same. The model has been an outspoken advocate for diversity in the fashion world, and has had quit the career.

5. Etsy

Not only did the popular online marketplace website make a donation of half a million dollars to the Equal Justice Initiative and the Borealis Philanthropy Black Led Movement Fund, but the company also published a list of black-owned Etsy shops. You can check those out here.

Overall, it’s important not to forget that the fight against systemic racism is ongoing, even when the major news coverage ends. By supporting companies that support the cause, we’re making steps towards a better future.

Katherine Stinson is an award-winning journalist and Staff Reporter at Grit Daily News, where she covers Texas and Southern states' startup and entrepreneurship news. Based in San Antonio, Texas, she also contributes to ScreenRant, Outlander TV News, and San Antonio Magazine.

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