2020 has been a very tough year for everyone worldwide. But honestly I feel like USA has been under everyone’s radar this year just because it’s been especially brutal for USA. Firstly because there have been countless cases and deaths due to covid19, then the murder hornets came out of nowhere and now there’s been a horrendous case of police brutality. Out of all the things gone wrong, George Floyd’s death has topped all sorts of list. The reason why it’s so heart breaking is because in theory we’ve all left the differentiation based on race or colour way behind in the past but in reality this case proves that somehow we’re still stuck in the past with all sorts of judgement and stereotypes in our heads. We all boast about being progressive but cases like these are just major setbacks that take everyone back in time.
Having said all that, I also think that what’s great about our generation is that, nobody is afraid to call behaviour like this anymore. If one of us commits an abominable crime like this, people are quick to respond and take action. What’s also amazing about this day and age is that social media has made communication so much easier and also faster. Within a few hours the whole world knew what happened to George Floyd and all of us were quick to take action. The policemen involved with the case have all been already charged with different degrees of murder. Not only that fashion brands have also gotten themselves involved and have taken it upon themselves to fight racism. Many fashion companies have posted graphics and also illustrations that clearly demonstrates the fight against racism. This is one of the many ways to show their support to the Black Lives Matter movement. If you look below, I’ve made a list of a few brands that have publicly committed their resources in terms of money or otherwise to show their support and do their bit to fight for this cause.
- Balmain : Although this luxury label has not disclosed the exact amount but it has given out a statement saying that it has made donations to France’s “SOS Racisme” and also to the NAACP.
- Etsy : The American e-commerce platform has pledged to donate $500,000 to the “Borealis Philanthropy’s Black-Led Movement Fund” and accordingly another $500,000 to the “Equal Justice Initiative”
- H&M Group : The Sweden based company that owns brands including H&M, COS and Other Stories has said that it would donated $500,000 to the “Color of Change”, “NAACP” and “ACLU”
- La Porte : This swimwear brand has said that it would donate 50% of it’s sales to the NACCP and the Minnesota Freedom Fund
- Quay Australia : This eyewear company has donated a sum total of $50,000 to various groups including “The Loveland Foundation”, ”Equal Justice Initiative”, “NAACP’s Legal Defence and Education Fund and Change the Record”. It has also mentioned that it will donate another $100,000 before the end of this year.
- Uniqlo: This brand has pledged to partner with “ACLU” to give a sum total of $100,000 “to organizations all across the country that support the Black community.”