In late May, Aurora James, the creative director of Greenpoint-based accessories brand Brother Vellies, asked major retailers to rethink their spending power. “Ok, this is one thing you can do for us,” the Black designer and founder wrote in a post directed to nine companies including Whole Foods, Target, and Walmart. “I’m asking you to commit to buying 15% of your products from Black-owned businesses.” Last week, Sephora became the first to formally accept James’s benchmark, which is equal to the percentage of Black Americans in the U.S.
With the help of illustrators and graphic designers, James has been sharing the disparities Black business owners face through her new non-profit, 15 Percent Pledge. The hurdles are as grim as you’d expect. Just 2% of the Small Business Investment Company program goes to Black-owned businesses. Only 1% of Black business owners get a loan in their first year. And Black Americans own just 2% of businesses with employees, compared to the 81% owned by white Americans.
James, who received no loans or VC support when she began her company, knows first-hand how a purchase order from a major retailer can change the trajectory of a business. “The idea that one of these small brands could get picked up at Sephora and end up at stores potentially all across the country and all across the world—that is a dream come true, a game changer,” she told Vogue. “We also know that female founders and Black people who are the founders of their own businesses end up contributing to their own communities as well. So this isn’t just about Black business owners. This is about Black people in Black communities as a whole.”
Having Sephora accept the challenge is just the first step. Now the goal is to get others to sign on, and hold brands accountable once they do. “In addition to these retailers taking stock of the current percentage of shelf space and contracts dedicated to Black-owned businesses, they must take ownership of their findings, understand the blind spots and disparities, and identify concrete next steps,” James said by email. “The team at the Pledge is working with these brands to set attainable benchmarks and deadlines that we will check in on.”
James doesn’t want to be the middle woman, necessarily, in connecting retailers with the Black-owned businesses to stock. “We certainly can,” she said, “but we want these brands to do the work. If a brand such as Sephora is seeking out brands that work for them on their shelves, it means a whole lot more than if we just hand them a list.”
Besides, she has her own brand to nurture during this precarious time. Brother Vellies, whose physical store is on Franklin Street in Greenpoint, sells luxury shoes and bags made by artisan communities of color around the world, with a focus on traditional African techniques and design practices. As gorgeous as her goods are, James knew that four-figure boots might be a hard sell during a stay-at-home order. So she created a membership program called Something Special, in which the artisans she works with craft a special, one-of-a-kind object to be enjoyed at home each month.
“This time has hit our community hard—not only financially but also mentally. We wanted to create small batch items for our community that brought joy and comfort into their homes. By signing up, on the 15th of every month, you will automatically receive something special delivered right to your door.” In this month’s shipment are handmade vases made by a collective of women in Mexico with handwoven hanging straps. The next shipment in July is still available to order, and costs $35.
It’s just one way to #BuyBlack at a moment when the community needs the most support. “It’s said that 40% of Black-owned businesses will not survive the pandemic,” James said. “If we want to continue to live in a world where we have diverse choices, we have to help those diverse choices succeed.”
