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As the nation continues to protest for Black Lives Matter, the fashion and media industries are being called upon to eliminate systemic racism in their fields. In recent weeks, brands and companies have come forth with numbers on Black executives and employees through the #PullUpOrShutUp initiative, with many falling short on Black representation. Now, the newly formed Black in Fashion Council is demanding accountability and trackable results from companies for actionable change.
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Founded by Teen Vogue editor Lindsay Peoples Wagner and Sandrine Charles Consulting founder Sandrine Charles, the Black in Fashion Council aims to “represent and secure the advancement of black individuals in the fashion and beauty industry. As a collective, we envision a world in which black people in fashion and beauty spaces can be open and honest, guaranteed equal rights, and be celebrated for our voices,” reads the mission statement. “While we are working on our end, we encourage people in the industry to rise to the occasion to sustain long-term change.”
According to Vogue, Peoples Wagner and Charles have teamed up with the Human Rights Campaign to develop an equality index score that will provide “benchmarking around corporate policies and practices pertinent to the inclusivity of Black employees,” with the first score due June 2021. The council will release a yearly report to the public, tracking companies that have signed a three year pledge to improve representation of Black employees on all levels.
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“The Human Rights Campaign already has a Corporate Equality Index for people with disabilities and the LGBTQ community that companies like Kering are already a part of,” Peoples Wagner told Vogue. “This would be a way to continue to give companies a report card of accountability without them feeling like they’re being shamed into it, and giving them the actual resources of what people are saying they want to see changed.” The council will also offer a “digital directory of Black fashion and beauty professionals that brands can purchase to assist with diversifying their staffs.”
The Black in Fashion Council is made up of 400 stakeholders, with plans to expand. Executive board members include stylist Shiona Turini, Harlem’s Fashion Row founder Brandice Daniel, and GQ Deputy Fashion Director and former ELLE.com Style Director Nikki Ogunnaike.
Follow the Black in Fashion Council on Instagram here.
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