The movement #blackouttuesday was meant to show solidarity with the Black community and ensure that Instagram users put their own personal posts on hold to uplift the voices of the Black community. However, some brands saw it as a trend to hop on, a boost to their following, or a cover up for their racist policies.
Globally, 80% of garment workers are people of colour. In Bangladesh, 91% of garment workers cannot afford to feed themselves. How would you feel as a person of colour sewing ‘Black Lives Matter’ onto a shirt, when the business you work for has devalued your life to the point where you cannot afford to provide for your family?
Brands’ solution to this issue: cover it up. Fashion brands released vague statements like ‘We stand for equality’ (Zara) and ‘Lets change’ (H&M), but failed to propose any action to change their racist systems.
This optical allyship spreads beyond the fashion industry. L’oréal Paris posted ‘Speaking out is worth it’, three years after firing Munroe Burgdorf for doing just that. After backlash, they have released an apology and offered Monroe a job in the company’s UK diversity and inclusion advisory board, which she has accepted.
We need to hold brands accountable. Otherwise, Black workers will continue to be underpaid and silenced.
A black square cannot conceal years of racial and social injustice.
Sophie Farrar
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