This year, we went digital for our Beauty, Lifestyle & Nurturing Diversity initiative—not surprising considering the craziness that is the year 2020!
Even though this year's B.L.N.D. wasn't in person like our previous events in NYC and LA, our vision for this important initiative remained the same: to highlight industry perspectives around diversity and inclusion, and leave with actionable insights for a brighter, more inclusive future.
Read more about this year’s B.L.N.D. event in WWD.
This year's theme was Showcasing Black Voices as the Industry Evolves, and our phenomenal panel featured some of the coolest people in the business. Each person shared their experiences, ideas and perspectives from when they first entered the industry to how we can shape the future to make it more inclusive.
Here are some of our favorite takeaways:
On starting off in the beauty business…
"The idea of the black consumer has been homogenized. Even products created for POC have more harmful and toxic ingredients. That’s why I started JACQ’s after a health scare. The voice of the black woman has become louder and louder."
-Barbara Jacques, founder of JACQ's
On how the current climate has affected the beauty space…
“There is more business created for men of color and it’s becoming more normalized. Recently, I feel like my voice has been amplified and I’ve been able to partner with brands that are looking for new talent.”
-Saleam Singleton, Contributing Writer at Byrdie“This is creating an opportunity and more of a path [for POC]. Black beauty is becoming normalized. Companies need to invest in employing black people. They've got to put their money where their mouth is.”
-Sarissa Thrower, Communications Lead at Instagram
On the beauty industry's current state of diversity and inclusivity...
“Companies must be held accountable. Consumers want to see representation in their employees, and it’s up to those decision makers, people in power positions, to empower POC to be in those positions, too. You have to make them feel comfortable enough to voice opinions. It’s not enough to just have them in the room.”
-Jazmyn W., our moderator and viral content creator
For more, check out this write-up about our event in WWD.
Finally, we’d like to extend an extra-special THANK YOU to our amazing partners — Baxter of California, Carol’s Daughter, FabFitFun, Hair.com, JACQ’s, LAIT Candles, Maybelline New York, Mineral Air, One/ Size by Patrick Starrr, Redken and Urban Decay. We couldn’t have done this without you.
Now we'd love to hear from you. If you were able to attend the virtual event, what did you think? What can we do better?
Let us know here, and be sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter to be the first to know about the next B.L.N.D. event!