DEI is more than a headline.
A special Saturday send.
By tomorrow morning, the 15 Percent Pledge’s annual Gala fundraiser will have concluded. Hopefully, hundreds of people will be gathered in Los Angeles for day two of the Block Party, too. We’ll have celebrated, connected, and shown up for Black-owned businesses.
Since I launched the 15 Percent Pledge in 2020, we’ve helped place more than 1,000 Black-owned brands on the shelves of major retailers across the country. We were able to distribute over $1 million in grants last year. But, frankly, things have changed.
Last year was our biggest year to date. Many of our programs, tables, and sales initiatives were confirmed before Donald Trump took office. Since then, our strongest partners have remained, with the exception of Gap Inc. But many corporations we’ve worked with over the years have pulled back from promoting Black History Month and DEI initiatives altogether. It’s disheartening. That’s the polite way to put it.
I’ve been thinking about responsibility, and how it has once again landed in the lap of the consumer. In many ways, it’s unfair to place the burden of intentional shopping on individuals while corporations are able to simply opt out.
And yet, it’s critical that we as consumers try our best to embody the world we want to see. That means being intentional about how we spend our dollars, where we put our time, what we choose to support. Making a conscious effort to shop small, particularly with Black-, Brown-, and women-owned businesses, matters. I’m not perfect, of course, but this effort matters deeply to me. I want to support artists. I want to support designers. Frankly, I want to support dreamers because society is nothing without them. What separates us from AI? Creativity. And if we’re not making a conscious effort to fuel it, what will the world look like for the next generation?
I wish I could say it’s only the 15 Percent Pledge that feels under attack this year, but many nonprofit organizations are facing the same reality. This work cannot continue without critical funding. Even when grants are offered, there are still infrastructures, systems, staff, and legal and regulatory requirements needed to implement programs responsibly. All of that costs money. Part of the current administration’s strategy is to starve these organizations of resources and instill fear—not just in everyday Americans, but also in high-dollar donors and major corporations—discouraging them from supporting smaller nonprofits.
I don’t know what the future holds for the 15 Percent Pledge. I really, really hope we make it.
What I do know is this: what has already happened matters. Separately, as an investor, I’ve helped allocate over $100 million to Black founders in the past three years. That makes me, the Pledge, and our partners the largest private allocator of capital to Black entrepreneurs currently operating in this country. Every year at the Block Party, I meet founders whose lives have been fundamentally changed by this work. I know many founders personally who came up through retailers connected to the Pledge and now live entirely different lives. They’ve employed dozens of people and built sustainable businesses. I refuse to have that impact erased.
Black-owned products I’m shopping right now
Anything from Shani Darden. She’s the reason I started wearing SPF. Her hydrating peptide moisturizer is bar none for me. I’m also a fan of the sculpting wand.
I use the Blurring Balm Powder from Danessa Myricks Beauty and the Colorfix stick in Aurora (yes, named after me). The formulas are effortless. A less is more approach.
Topicals under-eye patches are effective and not expensive, which is nice. I’ll be using them while getting ready for the Gala. Excellent for after a red-eye, too. Founded by Olamide Olowe.
I use pretty much everything that Highbrow Hippie makes. The leave-in hair mask and the supplements are top tier. The refillable candle comes in a hand-made ceramic vessel. I’m picky with home decor and I love this one.
I’m not sure if “what’s in my bag” videos are cringe anymore but if I’m ever in one, Eadem lip gloss would be the second thing I pull out, after my keys. The formula isn’t goopy and the color payoff is nice. Founded by Marie Kouadio Amouzame and Alice Lin Glover. They worked together at Google.
54 Thrones is an ode to Nigerian beauty practices and plant botanicals. Founded by Christina Funke Tegbe, the brand name is an homage to Africa’s 54 countries. Their intensive cream would also make an appearance in the hypothetical “what’s in my bag” video.
Jess & Ben’s French fries are soooo good. They’re made with avocado oil or grass-fed beef tallow. A lot less oily.
Kismet Pets is John Legend’s dog food company, and it’s what my chows eat.
Mateo New York was founded by Matthew Harris, who was born in Montego Bay, Jamaica. His designs are absolutely gorgeous. I will buy anything he makes using jade.
Tone coconut deodorant really works. The brand was founded by AMP (Any Means Possible), a content creator group, and I’d call it an Axe competitor, though women can and absolutely should use it too.
The ready-to-wear from Christopher John Rogers is incredible. He’s a brilliant designer. Currently in love with this peplum blazer and striped knit cardigan.
I almost didn’t include Brother Vellies but that felt insulting to the incredible artisans and designers I work with. The Vellies are a classic.
If you can’t make it to the Block Party, you can donate to The Fifteen Percent Pledge
This is powerful work you’re committed to and appreciated. I like that you listed some products and businesses as well. I appreciate you. I see you.