The world is not okay right now.
It hasn’t been for a while, for numerous reasons, but currently the nation is roiling with protests against institutionalized racism and police violence against black people. The outcry started in protest of the death, on video, of George Floyd under the knee of a merciless Minneapolis police officer, as well as the shooting of Breonna Taylor in her own home in March and countless other needless and unpunished deaths. In the days since, the protests have spread nationwide, many becoming violent, fueled by frustration, inordinate police response, and the incitement of provocateurs who just want to discredit the movement and/or watch the world burn.
It’s a wonder that any brand would want to wade into all of that, but many have — some in a transparent attempt to raise their profile, others in what appears to be a sincere attempt to use their platform to make a difference. Neither of those are anything new. And that’s probably why a lot of people are responding with a call for something more — because having been doing what we’ve been doing, we’ve clearly gotten what we’ve gotten.
The Righteous Swoosh of Racial Justice
In 2016, then-49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling while the national anthem was played before his football games, in protest of police brutality. His gesture was met with both support and criticism, but in 2018, Nike showed which side they were on with a campaign featuring Kap and the slogan, “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.” As one might imagine, reaction to that was also severely divided, but Nike ended up jumping $6 billion in value just in the first month of the campaign, so clearly any negative response didn’t hit them very hard.
Kap, for his part, has been a free agent since 2017. And while Nike reportedly donated an unknown amount of money to his “Know Your Rights” organization as part of the deal, it could be argued that the millions they’re raking in — including on sales of Kaepernick jerseys, even while the man himself doesn’t have a team — make them the clear winner in terms of the bottom line.
Then and Now
In recent days, many brands have come out with supportive messages, even using the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag and directly calling out systemic racism when previously, they’d have been more likely to wade in safer, peace-and-unity waters. Ben & Jerry’s published a lengthy blog post about “Why Black Lives Matter.” Nike released a really strong ad imploring, “Don’t accept innocent lives being taken from us. Don’t make any more excuses.” On Twitter, Reebok said, “We are not asking you to buy our shoes. We are asking you to walk in someone else’s.”
From a purely creative standpoint, that is a good line. I mean, that is a good line.
But, understandably, people are looking for more than just good lines, as is evidenced by many, many responses to supportive statements from brands. “Love the sentiment, let’s see the actions.” “Appreciate the statement, now where are the donation links?” “Open your purse.”
Here are brands that demonstrate both an understanding of and concern for racial justice and a willingness to put their money where their corporate mouth is.
Glossier
Makeup and skincare brand Glossier has become known for embracing inclusivity, from their ad campaigns to their expansive shade lines. Sunday on Instagram, they carried that through to explicit messaging condemning systemic racism and white supremacy. More than that, though, they pledged money to the cause: $500,000 across Black Lives Matter, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the Equal Justice Initiatives, the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, and We The Protesters; and an additional $500,000 in grants to black-owned businesses.
Sunday Riley
On Instagram, the founder of the eponymous makeup brand Sunday Riley noted that she and George Lloyd were both from Houston and even attended the same high school, albeit years apart. She also noted that, had she been in his same circumstances leading up to the violence visited upon him, the outcome would have been very different. She pledged $50,000 to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, along with plans for grassroots efforts in Houston.
YouTube
YouTube has taken a lot of well-earned heat for their failure to moderate white supremacist accounts and racist content. But they did tweet on Friday that they “stand in solidarity against racism and violence” and will donate $1 million in support of “efforts to address social justice.” That money will be going to the Center for Policing Equity, a nonprofit think tank that works with police departments to address discriminatory practices. (Arguably, their next step could be to actually start moderating white supremacist accounts and racist content. Just a thought. But the money is nice.)
Fila
On Sunday, Fila announced their solidarity with and financial support for the black community, pledging $100,000 to Black Lives Matter and inviting their followers to do the same. In their Instagram stories, they’ve highlighted a number of different ways to get involved, whether it’s making donations or signing petitions.
Citi
Citi published a blog post on Friday from their CFO, opening with George Floyd’s final words: “I can’t breathe.” Ten times. The post goes on to talk about the real impact of systemic racism and the basic human rights and dignity that black people are so often denied, and closes with a promise to donate to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the Advancement Project, and Color of Change.
You?
If you have money to spare (which I realize a lot of people don’t right now), you, too, can put some money toward those worthy causes.
- Know Your Rights
- Black Lives Matter
- The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund
- The Equal Justice Initiative
- The Marsha P. Johnson Institute
- We The Protesters
- The Center for Policing Equity
- The Advancement Project
- Color of Change
- The family of George Floyd
Black lives matter.