Be A Part of the Change – How to Support Brands That Align With Your Values + The Importance of Accountability

I have a pet peeve and it’s a big one. I see a lot of companies and brands using trending movements as marketing tactics to increase their fanbase while doing nothing for the causes they are publicly championing. It’s a sound bite and a photo-op at most, while they continue to do business as usual on a corporate level. Much like greenwashing where brands use buzzwords terms like sustainability and eco-friendly while they continue business practices that contribute to pollution and fill landfills but make no changes to their production practices, the new problem of “woke-washing” is sadly, a real thing. 

The Power of Our Money

If we want real change in this country, we need to put our spending dollars to work- this is a capitalist society which means money talks. Other than our votes (please be registered to vote and actually go to the polls), where we choose to spend our money has the biggest impact on how and when corporate America chooses to make change – they are motivated by profits unfortunately, not changing the world. Change happens when we demand it by withholding our business or redistributing it to companies that fall in line with the movements we are choosing to support.

So how do we do that?

Many people have shared lists of Black owned brands to support and that is a fantastic first step. I did the same in my post from Wednesday. Buying direct from these brands put dollars right into the pockets of the Black community.  However, if we want to change corporate America, we need to show retailers that Black owned brands will sell in their stores. Getting distribution in department stores and big online retailers is vital to the success of any fashion or beauty brand- I would encourage you to buy these brands also from retailers and if you cannot find them in your favorite retailer, do not hesitate to send their management or corporate office an email and ask them when they will be carrying that brand. We need to show retailers that the demand is there and that it is profitable to carry minority owned brands. If you are a store card carrier (meaning you have a Saks, Neiman, or Nordstrom credit card) your voice has even more power- remind them that the Black community is 13% of our population, Black owned brands should occupy 13% of their shelf space- and that is not even close to the case. 

Tools To Use to Research Companies

Are you wondering how you can tell if a brand you love is in line with your values?

Look on their website to see it shows a list of their corporate officers. If not, check on LinkedIn for a list of the employees for that company. Are the profiles diverse? If it’s a large corporation they should have a Diversity Officer in their HR division. Many large companies have a Wikipedia page with the history of the companies and any info on scandals or lawsuits they’ve been involved with. Glassdoor often has reviews from employees that share the culture of that employer and can offer a real life look at what it might be like to work there, how they promote and whether they pay equally. Google their charitable giving information and make sure the sites you’re reading from are trustworthy- businessinsider.com and blog.fundly.com are good ones. 

With the desire to amplify Black voices, here are a few Black-owned businesses who are killing it in the game. Not only do these businesses reflect the beauty of Black culture and women of color, they are leading by example through their business structure and company visions.

1. House of Aama

In their About Us, the mother and daughter duo share how “House of Aama explores the folkways of the Black experience by designing timeless garments with nostalgic references informed by historical research, archival analysis, and storytelling.” How incredible is that!
Their silhouettes are absolutely gorgeous and statement, and their color story is stunning. I love the earth tones.

2. BROTHER VELLIES

How amazing is their Instagram feed? They are truly telling a story. My favorite part is that their shoes are artisinally handmade, unique, and trendy. You can read more about the brand, and the Brother Vellie’s Creative Director and Founder Aurora James right here. I truly admire their commitment to sustainability, which is something that should be common practice for ALL brands.

3. KAIKE

I’m already in love with this brand because their name is pronounced as “CAKE” and that’s what skincare should be! Fun and indulgent. Kaike is a plant-based (YUM) skincare brand with a line of multi-purpose products. These products are also catered for Black women, and other women of color which is definitely the direction we need the beauty and skincare industry to push towards. Inclusion is so important, and one shade, one size does NOT fit all.

4. LAIT DE COCO

We love to highlight the importance of sustainability and taking care of the environment here on this blog, some ways including upcycling, reselling, and repurposing. LAIT DE COCO does just that with a tropical flair. They also sell handmade pieces which you can view and order through their Instagram. Their pieces are truly art.

5. Offerings

Offerings is small woman-owned business offering the most beautiful flower arrangements. Based in Los Angeles, this is definitely an accessible business for your flower arrangement needs. You can read about Schentell Nunn here – not only is she creating art through flowers, but she’s also a jewelry designer. Definitely a force to be reckoned with.

6. BeautyStat

BeautyStat is AMAZING and I’ve featured their vitamin C serum on my Instagram where I gave a first impression. This product has quickly become a holy grail. It’s one of the few non-celebrity owned, Black-owned skincare companies with wide distribution. The founder of this company is Ron Robinson, an African-American cosmetics chemist, who has dedicated his work to meeting beauty needs through the innovation of technology and beauty ingredients. I could not recommend this brand enough.

More Black-Owned Brands to Check Out:

Many businesses are using the public’s passion for the Black Lives Matter movement as a PR exercise, selling a single item on their website and promising to give 10% of the proceeds from that item to the cause. While every little bit helps and any awareness brought to the issue is positive, I would suggest these same companies first allocate profits towards making sure their Black employees are paid equally to their white counterparts. Or that, in the case of retail, they train their store employees and loss prevention employees in diversity, equality and inclusion training to better serve Black customers especially in the luxury sector where discrimination and profiling is sadly rampant.

If you would like to learn more about how to become a better, more informed ally, you can check out this post here.