The George Floyd incident has been a wake up call for the world from an already existing nightmare of Racism. In more than 50 states and 18 countries protesters and institutions, through persistent efforts, have reignited the long-due discourse on structural and institutional inequality, pervasive inequality, and the historic hegemony of white supremacy.
There have been riots and rallies in protest against racism and the statues of Confederate heroes which are reminiscent of a discriminatory past. Bringing them down was indeed a monumental shift leading to the burying of a hollow reminder of a painful ideology and acts of oppression against black people.
Protesters have also severely criticized the beauty industry for deepening the problems of racism. And this criticism is not just confined to US or Europe but also to our part of the world where the problem of racism is deeply entrenched. According to a report from Global Industry Analysts, the skin lightening industry projected USD 19.8 billion in sales globally by 2018, with growth driven by demand from (both men and) women in the Asian, African and Middle East regions (McDougall, 2013). Therefore, it is high time for fairness/ beauty products industry, that has been thriving by manipulating the perceptions of what it takes to be accepted and admired and by creating a psychological need in terms of beauty products, to be accountable for its actions.
I really appreciate how Johnson & Johnson positively approached this criticism by announcing that it would no longer sell certain products that are advertised to whiten complexion. Band-aid which is also a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson has also committed to launching a range of bandages in light, medium and deep shades of Brown and Black skin tones that embrace the beauty of diverse skin.
Unilever announced that it would be dropping the name of one of its hot-selling fairness products, “fair & lovely” but would continue to sell it. What a dichotomy and clear extension of hypocrisy? Fair & lovely has taken years to build upon damaged self-esteem, color-ism, and outright racism. So, by removing the name the root of the problem persists.
On the contrary, Nike, another leading brand also launched a unique anti-racism campaign. Titled ‘For Once, Don’t Do It’, the digital ad urges Americans to acknowledge the evils of racism. The message on the NIKE video reads: ‘For once, don’t do it. Don’t pretend there’s not a problem in America. Don’t turn your back on racism. Don’t accept innocent lives being taken from us. Don’t make any more excuses. Don’t think this doesn’t affect you. Don’t sit back and be silent. Don’t think you can’t be part of the change. Let’s all be part of the change.’
I personally believe that if you want to be associated to a cause, it is imperative for you to first understand it at a deeper level and practically act upon it. A lot of people even in our part of the world are supporting the cause of eliminating racism, but are they practically acting upon it? Regardless of your gender my question from you is: Have you stopped buying fairness products or undergoing fairness treatments? Have you stopped mocking, rejecting or looking down upon people around based on their color, caste, religion etc.? If yes, then you are part of the change because Change Starts with You!
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