2025 has become a year of massive changes both big and small. However, one change seems to stand out among the rest. One that is challenging all the progress that has been made to get to where we are today: diversity, equity, and inclusion. DEI has been around dating back to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which outlawed employment discrimination and banned segregation. As time has passed, more facets of American culture have embraced DEI including: employee resource groups, breastfeeding rooms, and mental health services. With the rollback of DEI under the Trump administration, it seems that society is taking a step backwards after all that has been done to keep it alive and thriving.
There have been notable differences in the beauty industry in particular, in terms of DEI. Major retailers such as Target, Amazon, and Walmart have cut back on their DEI initiatives, citing concern for what this means for the beauty brands currently sold there. There are a multitude of black-owned brands sold in those stores such as Camille Rose Naturals, the Lip Bar, and TGIN. As consumers start to boycott brands and voice out their opinions against DEI rollback, their actions could have more negative impacts than positive. Boycotting Target results in a drop in sales for many minority-owned businesses that have little control on switching retailers. The paradox of DEI not only impacts parent companies but the brands that reside there as well.
Despite this, after the death of George Floyd in 2020 and the onset of the Black Lives Matter movement, there were a multitude of venture capitalist firms and programs that catered specifically towards marginalized beauty brand founders. For example, the Fifteen Percent Pledge was created by Aurora James urging brands to dedicate 15% of their shelf space to black-owned brands, as Black people make up 15% of the US population. Glossier also has an initiative of their own called the Glossier Grant Program that gives grants of $300,000 to five Black-owned businesses. Although the beauty industry stays dedicated to DEI efforts, one fund’s flame was extinguished under the rollback of DEI: The Fearless Fund. Started in Atlanta by Arian Simone and Ayana Parsons, the fund aimed to give grants of $20,000 to small businesses led by at least one woman of color. After entering a lawsuit against the American Alliance for Equal Rights, citing that the fund was discriminatory against non-Black owners, the Fund was shut down completely.
As major retailers are pulling back on DEI, their beauty counterparts are doing just the opposite. Sephora, Ulta Beauty, and Sally Beauty have confirmed that they are continuing their DEI efforts. They see DEI as a necessity and not an addition, staying true to their commitments with the Fifteen Percent Pledge and the Rooted in Success program geared towards giving voice to those in the textured hair community. Furthermore, e.l.f Beauty stands out as an adamant advocate of DEI stating that it is an integral part of their business and will continue to be so.
As DEI is making waves across the nation, the beauty industry has had its own disruptions but ultimately, continues to fight against DEI initiatives, staying true to their values. As an industry that cares for the beauty of its consumers, I hope it continues to see the importance of letting every voice be heard, every face seen, and every heart lifted towards a more equal future.
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