Mar 31, 2022
In this short Green Beauty Opinion, Lorraine challenges us to act now to change the status quo on the discrimination women of colour face every day. Whatever our platform, we all have a chance to alter the narrative that has dominated society's view of ideals in beauty for hundreds of years.
Inclusivity and diversity are words easily slipped into beauty industry discourse. While progress has been made there is a long way to go to erase societal conditioning about Black, Brown and other non-European/Caucasian skin tones.
Change needs all voices to participate and all of us to act if the beauty industry is to drill down into why and how it not just historically, but also today still excludes people.
If we all use our platforms, whatever they may be and however widespread our communities, we can help break the bias the beauty industry perpetuates against people of colour. Not using our voices to effect change would be to do a disservice to them.
Lorraine mentions just three of numerous, glaring and deep-rooted examples of where diversity in the beauty industry is found lacking: beauty product design; marketing and advertising language; and beauty imagery.
In conclusion, Lorraine challenges us all to think about how we can use our platforms, whether in the workplace, socially, as indie beauty advocates, on social media or elsewhere, to call out the inequalities.
How will you use your platform as you move forward?