Diversity in the Beauty Industry

“I have a surprise for you. Cover your eyes.”

My little sister and I did as we were told. When we opened them there were two brand new Barbie dolls before us. We hastily vied for the one on the left, while the one on the right sat untouched. Our older brother and mother exchanged bewildered expressions. The dolls had identical hair, outfits, and accessories, save one small difference; the one on the left was white, and the one on the right - you guessed it - was Black.

Image Courtesy of Mattel

Everywhere I turned, I saw her. Not because I was obsessed, but because society was. I was disturbed to see dolls that looked like me because they played insignificant roles on TV and were banished to dusty little corners of toy stores. I genuinely believed they were defective, and sadly, that I was too. She played the love interest; I played the token best friend. Her mother was a career woman; my mother was the help. This is what I gathered within six years of life, yet it was enough to shape the rest of it.

Traditionally, children and the elderly are the most vulnerable victims of adroit advertising. This is because children can be gullible and their grandparents hold a disproportionate amount of wealth. However, the forecast predicts a major shift. Their new target? People of Color (POC), which they intend to reach under the gaudy guise of “equity and inclusion.” Where was our inclusion all those years ago, when we begged and pleaded? Why now?

The grotesque history of the United States and other Western countries led the economy to exclude POC in every way imaginable. A major component of this exclusion is consumerism, which, despite being America’s latest obsession, still poses difficulties for people of color in finding products and services that meet their diverse needs, especially in the beauty and fashion industries.

Beauty gives us a visual representation of how the market increased inclusiveness over time. Who can forget the days of old, when cosmetics came in limited shade ranges that gave us a humorous casket-ready finish? At the time, it was literally “to die for.” Feels like yesterday doesn’t it? This is because progress in these areas has been slow, but young changemakers are here to speed things up! They identify gaps in the market for innovation of existing products that do not cater to their intended audience, then seize these opportunities in true entrepreneurial spirit. This is how Fenty Beauty came to be. Miss Robyn Rihanna Fenty’s groundbreaking new foundations shook the makeup industry to its core in 2018. Individuals of all complexions flocked to the singer’s collection because it had something for everyone. This forced the industry to address their egregious exclusion. They missed out on a large sum of earning potential by turning a blind eye to POC. Shortly thereafter, similar advancements took place in other brands. Coincidence? Of course not!

Image Courtesy of Fenty Beauty

During the rampant resurgence of the Black Lives Matter Movement in May 2020, performative activism was at an all-time high, as was the use of the term “solidarity.” While many non-black counterparts and companies alike claimed to see us, hear us, and stand with us, it is evident that some only feigned concern as a result of societal pressure.

Sharon Chuter, Founder and Creative Director of black-owned brand Uoma Beauty applied that pressure. She spearheaded the Pull Up for Change movement, a grassroots initiative that demanded large corporations disclose to the public the racial makeup of their executive staff. Brands were called out on social media under the hashtag #PullUpOrShutup. They complied with the threat of cancel culture nipping at their heels. The results were disappointing yet unsurprising. They confirmed that the C-suite is in dire need of diversity. The aforementioned movements were accompanied by the intensified support of minority-owned businesses, which saw generous boosts in revenue at the height of the racial divide. Influencers made a show of their support by posting their patronage online to “spread awareness” and receive praise in the process. But how much of that action was for show, and how much was fo’ sho’?

While Rihanna’s addition to the industry was revolutionary, she was not the first to champion the cause, and will certainly not be the last. It is important to acknowledge the greats who came before her, such as supermodel Iman Abdulmajid of Iman Cosmetics, one of the first prestige makeup brands for black women founded in 1994, and the revered Madame CJ Walker, who was not only the first black female billionaire but the first female billionaire in the U.S. period. She made her fortune selling black hair care products. These legacies may be grossly oversimplified, but the point is the call to expand beauty beyond eurocentrism has always been around, and corporate America has finally developed an interest in answering. While it is better late than never, we shall not be pacified by big beauty brands and fashion houses pandering to POC by doing the bare minimum. We must also take matters into our own hands. A new generation of youth is rising up to prevent meeting the demand for diversity from remaining a fluctuating fad. We must be conscious consumers, critical about who we support. In this digital age, it is essential to continue holding individuals and the industry at large accountable. Gen Z effectively does so as the dominant demographic making use of social media platforms. However, consuming copious amounts of media comes at a cost.

The lack of representation in advertising subconsciously defines beauty in the eyes of impressionable youth, causing them to detest themselves as I once did. To alleviate the burden of self-loathing, we purchase products promoted through falsified claims and misleading media, pining after an image we were never meant to be. This form of oppression specifically targets POC. Realizing the importance of having more POC behind the scenes and behind the screens of influential companies is crucial to increasing racial diversity in the beauty and fashion industries.

Works Cited

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“Pull Up for Change's Sharon Chuter Is Back with Make It Black Campaign.” Glossy, 5 Feb. 2021,www.glossy.co/beauty/pull-up-for-changes-sharon-chuter-is-back-with-make-it-black-campaign/.

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