You Can Now Support the Black LGBTQ+ Community Using Your Sephora Points

From ELLE

As protests continue across the U.S. and world following the murder of Minneapolis man George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin, many companies are releasing statements about the Black Lives Matter movement.

As these protests grow and cities including Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Atlanta institute curfews, more companies, as well as celebrities, are using their platforms to stand with the protesters who are standing up against police violence—including the violence taking place at the demonstrations.

"Like so many of you, I'm pained by these recent tragedies," Michelle Obama wrote in a statement on Friday. "And I'm exhausted by a heartbreak that never seems to stop. Right now it’s George, Breonna, and Ahmaud. Before that it was Eric, Sandra, and Michael. It just goes on, and on, and on. Race and racism is a reality that so many of us grow up learning to just deal with. But if we ever hope to move past it, it can't just be on people of color to deal with it. It’s up to all of us—Black, white, everyone—no matter how well-meaning we think we might be, to do the honest, uncomfortable work of rooting it out."

Here is a list of the companies who are standing in solidarity with the movement and the protests.

This post will be updated.

Sephora

The brand announced an amendment to their Insider Rewards Program for the month of June that allows Sephora Beauty Insiders to redeem points for donations to the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. The Sephora Charity Reward program will donate dollars for points, directly to the NBJC—500 points equals a $10 donation, 1,000 points equals a $20 donation, and 1,500 points equals a $30 donation.

Toms

The shoe brand released a two-part statement on Instagram outlining its support for the #BlackLivesMatter movement, announcing a donation of $100,000 to organizations working to end racial injustice, and recommendations for people to follow and organizations to support. It read, in part:

"#GeorgeFloyd, #BreonnaTaylor, #AhmaudArbery, #TonyMcDade and countless others. We will not forget them, and we know that we need to be part of the change. Over the next three months, we are donating $100,000 to organizations that are working to combat racial injustice, starting with a donation to Black Lives Matter (@blklivesmatter). We will also continue to listen, learn, and act. Join us. We’re taking our cues from the people who are doing the work—community leaders, experts, organizers, activists."

Glossier

The beauty company released a statement on its Instagram and Twitter accounts, which read, in part:

"We stand in solidarity with the fight against systemic racism, white supremacy, and the historic oppression of the Black community. Black Lives Matter. We will be donating $500K across organizations focused on combating racial injustice: Black Lives Matter, The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, The Equal Justice Initiative, The Marsha P. Johnson Institute, and We The Protesters."

Netflix

On Saturday, the streaming service tweeted, "To be silent is to be complicit. Black lives matter. We have a platform, and we have a duty to our Black members, employees, creators and talent to speak up."

Hulu

Hulu, a Disney, owned company tweeted, "We support Black lives. Today, and every day. You are seen. You are heard. And we are with you." No other Disney corporate brands have a statement on the matter, per Variety.

HBO and WarnerMedia Entertainment brands

Several Warner brands including HBO, HBO Max, TBS, TNT changed their Twitter handles to #BlackLivesMatter.

"Neither love nor terror makes one blind: indifference makes one blind.” — James Baldwin. We stand with our Black colleagues, employees, fans, actors, storytellers — and all affected by senseless violence. #BlackLivesMatter," HBO tweeted.

Warner Bros

The company quoted Bryan Stevenson, the founder of Equal Justice Initiative, who was the subject of Just Mercy (2019):

TikTok

TikTok released the following statement:

"At TikTok we deeply value the diverse voices among our users, creators, artists, partners, and employees. We stand with the Black community and are proud to provide a platform where #blacklivesmatter and #georgefloyd generate powerful and important views with over 1 billion views. We are committed to fostering a space where everyone is seen and heard."

Twitch

“Black people have been suffering under the oppressive weight of racism in America for far too long," the company wrote in a statement. "We cannot delight in the creative contributions of the Black community on Twitch and remain silent while they are in pain. We’re asking you to come together to and stand up for Black lives whether it’s through your time, treasure, or talent. Don’t let today’s injustice stop us from creating a better tomorrow for our community."

Amazon

Amazon Studios posted on both Instagram and Twitter that "together we stand with the Black community—colleagues, artists, writers, storytellers, producers, our viewers — and all allies in the fight against racism and injustice."

Paramount

Here's the full internal memo from Paramount from CEO of ViacomCBS-owned Paramount, Jim Gianopulos, via Variety:

TO: Paramount Employees
FROM: Jim Gianopulos
DATE: May 30th, 2020

Dear Colleagues,

Across our nation, we are witnessing the real-time expression of years and years of collective pain. The addition of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor to an already unbearable tally of those who have been killed because of the color of their skin has brought to a boiling point the outrage over the systemic racial injustice in this country.

As children, we learn the pledge of allegiance, with the concluding promise that ours is a country built on “liberty and justice for all.” What we have seen in these past several weeks, and if we’re being honest with ourselves, centuries, is example after example of the gap between this promise and the reality in which many live. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously said that, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” That these words bear repeating today is a painful reminder of how far we have to go as a society in ensuring justice for all. Too many members of the Black community have had their breath stolen from them through racial injustice.

As a nation, our heartbreak and outrage are not enough. The fabric of our society, the founding promise that all men are created equal, is broken, and it is the responsibility of all of us to raise our voices and be part of the solution. At the same time, we have an opportunity for internal reflection as we ask ourselves hard questions about the beliefs that are entrenched in our culture, and explore how we can become better citizens and stewards for one another. We must be better, and we will be better, with love and humanity leading the way.

I know that this comes at a time when tensions are already high and anxiety is ubiquitous as we continue to navigate the ongoing pandemic. In the midst of this incredibly difficult time, know that we are here for you and we remain a community and company that is stronger together and committed to racial and social justice.

Please take care of yourselves and your families and we will strive together to overcome these troubled times.

With my heartfelt wishes to you all,
Jim

Starz

"We cannot stand silent while our Black communities under the weight of violence, discrimination and injustice," Starz wrote on Instagram.

YouTube

"We stand in solidarity against racism and violence. When members of our community hurt, we all hurt. We’re pledging $1M in support of efforts to address social injustice."

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