User:J'Mill Wins/15PP proposed draft

The 15 Percent Pledge is a US-based non-profit organization that encourages retailers to pledge at least 15 percent of their shelf-space to Black-owned businesses. It was established in 2020 by Aurora James as a way of advocating on behalf of Black-owned businesses and to build generational wealth in Black communities.

Background
The murder of George Floyd sparked a wave of activism for the Black Lives Matter movement and renewed calls for the end of the systemic racism in America, as well as social justice reform and economic and social equality. On May 29 2020, Aurora James wrote the following Instagram post: "So many of your businesses are built on Black spending power. So many of your stores are set up in Black communities. So many of your sponsored posts are seen on Black feeds. This is the least you can do for us. We represent 15% of the population and we need to represent 15% of your shelf space." James' post "immediately went viral and resulted in an outpouring of interest."

Foundation
Following the success of her Instagram post, James created the Fifteen Percent Pledge Foundation as a non-profit organization to urge major retailers to commit 15% of their shelf-space to Black-owned businesses. In June 2020 James started an Instagram account for the 15 Percent Pledge. In this, she "tagged a series of larger retailers highlighting the disparity in business loans, wages, and the long-term effects of the pandemic on Black-owned businesses." The foundation then conducted audits of retailers, including Target, Whole Foods, Nordstrom, and Neiman Marcus. It found that "Black-owned businesses currently constitute on average just 1% of U.S. retailers' supplier base." In the same month, Sephora was announced publicly as the first business to sign on to the 15 Percent Pledge. Since then, 20 other companies have taken the pledge, such as Macy's Bloomingdales and The Gap. In August 2020 James told TIME Magazine: "I was watching Black-owned businesses literally shutter before my very eyes while I was also seeing these major retailers say, 'We stand with you,'" ... "And the reality is that you actually don't." TIME Magazine wrote that James wanted to "find a way that companies could make a tangible change," and "from there, the 15 Percent Pledge was born."

Development
In September 2020, James asked Canadian retailers to take the 15 Percent Pledge, partly in response to feedback she got from Canadians who made contact as a result of the U.S. campaign to say that retailers such as Hudson's Bay and Holt Renfrew can do better. Indigo Books & Music Inc. became the first Canadian company to take the 15 Percent Pledge. In doing so, it committed to carrying a minimum of 15% books by BIPOC authors and 15% BIPOC brands in their product assortment." In April 2021, the 15 Percent Pledge criticized Target for refusing to take the Pledge despite its large revenue after the corporation announced that it had committed to spending $2 billion on Black-owned businesses by the Year 2025. The 15 Percent Pledge pointed to the large discrepancy between Target's commitment and its $92.4 billion annual revenue. The foundation also claimed that Target had copied its branding style.

Activities
The Foundation offers large corporations accountability and strategy suggestions as well as consulting services. Sephora "said it would provide connections and support to Black-owned businesses from funders and venture capitalists and evolve its existing incubation programs to 'focus on women of color.'" Sephora also said it would create an advisory group that includes James and other leaders of brands owned by people of color to help Sephora make changes. This is an example of the type of longer-lasting change sought by the 15 Percent Pledge. Sephora also said it would create an advisory group that includes James and other leaders of brands owned by people of color to help Sephora make changes. Cam Wolf writes in GQ magazine that "James is careful to note that the 15 Percent Pledge is not the only solution." James added, "This is a really tough time for everyone, and people shopping is by no means going to ease the pain of the lives that we have lost ... There are also a lot of other things that we need people to be doing, like donating to bail funds." In December 2020, James launched a Pledge holiday gift guide, with a focus on Black-owned businesses.