Sephora signs ‘15% pledge’ to carry more black-owned brands

As protests over police brutality swept the country in recent weeks and major retailers posted messages of solidarity with black Americans on social media, Aurora James, a creative director in Brooklyn, asked herself if she actually felt like those brands were standing with her as a black woman and business owner.

“The answer was I didn’t,” James, 35, said in an interview. “I started thinking black people do not feel supported. I do not feel supported.”

On May 29, she jotted down an idea for what could change that and posted it to Instagram: What if major retailers like Walmart, Sephora, Target and Whole Foods started devoting 15% of their shelf space to products from black-owned businesses to align with the population of African Americans in the United States? It would fuel the growth of the brands and attract new investments that would ultimately extend to black communities, she wrote.

Her proposal, which quickly rocketed around social media, is now known as the 15% Pledge and has caught the attention of its intended audience. On

Wednesday, Sephora’s U.S. business said that it would make the pledge and create an advisory group that would include James and leaders of brands owned by people of color to help it make changes.

“Ultimately, this commitment is about more than the prestige products on our shelves, it starts with a longterm plan diversifying our supply chain and building a system that creates a better platform for Black-owned brands to grow, while ensuring Black voices help shape our industry,” said Artemis Patrick, chief merchandising officer of Sephora. “We recognize we can do better.”