In response to the deaths of black Americans at the hands of the police and vigilantes — culminated by the death of George Floyd, who was killed in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25 — the commitment to stand with the Black community and against racial injustice are more powerful than ever.
Aside from protests in all 50 states and around the world, petitions for change and fundraisers for the cause, there’s a call to action for individuals and corporations alike to do their part.
In beauty, tons of brands have taken to social media to show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement including posting pledges to “do better” as a company or disclosing monetary donations.
However, Sharon Chuter, who is founder and CEO of UOMA Beauty, asked brands to dig a little deeper.
On June 3, she launched Pull Up or Shut Up, a 72-hour campaign that asked beauty brands to release the exact number of Black employees at their companies.
“Show us you really mean it and you are ready to stop being a part of the system of oppression and marginalization,” she wrote on Instagram.
Obviously, the work doesn’t end at 72 hours, but hopefully this is the beginning. According to Pull Up for Change on Instagram, only four Fortune 500 companies had a black chief executive in 2019. This is down from seven less than a decade ago. It also stated that only 8% of people employed in white-collar professions are black and only 3.2% are in executive or senior management level roles.
We’ve talked about it plenty of times on this blog, but brands are shady. They say one thing while they practice another and I’m happy to see the Pull Up movement taking place. Beauty is a space for all as we all deserve to be able to express ourselves through makeup and care for ourselves (skin, hair and body, but also mind and spirit) through beauty. It’s a space large enough for each and every one of us.
How can we help in the meantime in the beauty world? We can hold brands accountable. We also can support Black-owned beauty brands and businesses and support Black creators in beauty.
I hope this message in beauty goes beyond just a public relations message to actually create lasting, systemic change.
Gia Mazur is an award-winning staff writer and beauty obsessive who joined The Times-Tribune’s Lifestyles department in 2015. She’s a product enthusiast who can’t live without an eyelash curler. A proud Virgo, Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk is her go-to. Contact: gmazur@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9127; @gmazurTT
