{"id":716,"date":"2020-06-01T11:50:21","date_gmt":"2020-06-01T16:50:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/capertongillett.com\/blog\/?p=716"},"modified":"2020-06-01T11:50:21","modified_gmt":"2020-06-01T16:50:21","slug":"people-are-looking-for-more-than-were-all-in-this-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/capertongillett.com\/blog\/people-are-looking-for-more-than-were-all-in-this-together\/","title":{"rendered":"People are looking for more than \u201cWe\u2019re all in this together!\u201d from the brands they follow"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
George Floyd’s life mattered.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The world is not okay right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It hasn\u2019t 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<\/a>, as well as the shooting of Breonna Taylor in her own home<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a wonder that any brand would want to wade into all of that, but many have \u2014 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\u2019s probably why a lot of people are responding with a call for something more<\/a> \u2014 because having been doing what we\u2019ve been doing, we\u2019ve clearly gotten what we\u2019ve gotten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Righteous Swoosh of Racial Justice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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, \u201cBelieve in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.\u201d<\/a> 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\u2019t hit them very hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kap, for his part, has been a free agent since 2017. And while Nike reportedly donated an unknown amount of money<\/a> to his \u201cKnow Your Rights\u201d organization as part of the deal, it could be argued that the millions they\u2019re raking in \u2014 including on sales of Kaepernick jerseys, even while the man himself doesn\u2019t have a team \u2014 make them the clear winner in terms of the bottom line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then and Now<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In recent days, many brands have come out with supportive messages<\/a>, even using the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag and directly calling out systemic racism when previously, they\u2019d have been more likely to wade in safer, peace-and-unity waters. Ben & Jerry\u2019s published a lengthy blog post<\/a> about \u201cWhy Black Lives Matter.\u201d Nike released a really strong ad <\/a>imploring, \u201cDon\u2019t accept innocent lives being taken from us. Don\u2019t make any more excuses.\u201d On Twitter, Reebok said<\/a>, \u201cWe are not asking you to buy our shoes. We are asking you to walk in someone else\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From a purely creative standpoint, that is a good line. I mean, that is a good line<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, understandably, people are looking for more than just good lines, as is evidenced by many, many responses to supportive statements from brands. \u201cLove the sentiment, let\u2019s see the actions.\u201d \u201cAppreciate the statement, now where are the donation links?\u201d \u201cOpen your purse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are brands that demonstrate both an understanding of and concern for racial justice and<\/em> a willingness to put their money where their corporate mouth is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glossier<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div>
View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a>

#BlackLivesMatter<\/a><\/p>

A post shared by Glossier<\/a> (@glossier) on