Aesop

From:
Aesop
Subject:

Against systemic racism

The senseless killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd—to name but a tragically recent few—reveal how little has changed for Black people in the past years, and how police brutality remains a constant threat to their lives.

If systemic racism is to be defeated, we all need to stay educated, become involved and understand our role in both the problems, and the solutions. We cannot look away, and words are not enough.

As of Monday, June 1, Aesop has committed USD $100,000 to support organizations that fight racial injustice and promote opportunities for Black people:

  • To fight against police brutality and any form of violence inflicted on the Black community, Aesop has made a commitment to support Black Lives Matter with a donation of $50,000.
  • For the remainder of the pledge ($50,000), we are engaging our staff in selecting the appropriate organization(s). Listening to our colleagues who have experienced systemic racism first-hand is critical.
  • In addition to the pledge, we are also matching 100% of donations made by our employees across the globe to organizations that fight racial injustice.

It would be naïve to think that financial contributions alone will solve the issue. As much as we need to support other organizations, we also recognize that change starts from within, by listening to our colleagues, and by examining our own behaviors at Aesop. This includes reviewing our hiring practices, the level of representation of Black people and persons of color at every level of the company, and all internal policies to make sure we create an inclusive culture in our stores and offices.

We realize we have a lot of work to do to understand the role we play in perpetuating systemic racism and how we can make progress, and we are committed to taking immediate action while working on the long-term, structural changes.