Sephora joins ‘15 Percent Pledge’ to make space for more Black-owned beauty brands

In an effort to support Black-owned businesses, Sephora pledged to dedicate more shelf space to Black-owned beauty brands. In a recent statement, the beauty giant stepped forward and signed Aurora James’ pledge as the first company to join the movement, “With unparalleled influence and power, not only in the beauty industry but in retail at large, Sephora is making a historic contribution to the fight against systemic racism, economic inequality and discrimination by taking this Pledge. We commend their early leadership and look forward to working with them on their accountability and commitment as we join together in the mission to put billions back into the Black community.”

© @sephora

Aurora’s ‘15 percent pledge’ proposal was simple and called out four major companies including Target and Whole Foods to take part in the movement and dedicate 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses. Sephora’s plan of action includes three stages - take stock, take ownership and take action. “We recognize how important it is to represent Black businesses and communities, and we must do better. So, we’re starting now,” mentioned the brand.

This is not Sephora’s only mission to end systemic racism. Recently, the behemoth beauty company announced a new incentive for all beauty shoppers. Sephora clients can now redeem their Beauty Insider points for donations to a charity. Its new program encourages clients to support the organization of the month while advocating for the Black Lives Matter movement.

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Sephora’s plan will focus on offering resources and connections to founders and the venture capitalist community, helping launch Black-owned businesses and supporting them for long-term success. The idea behind Aurora’s pledge is to offer a long-lasting impact within the Black community. Sephora also shared that it will use the Accelerate program - an internal incubation program dedicated to cultivating female founders - to focus on cultivating women of color. Now that Sephora took the first step, it’s time to see who joins next.