SheaMoisture Announces Advisory Council of Nationally Recognized Black Women Thought Leaders and Activists for its Newly Formed Social Justice Coalition Aimed at Protecting & Supporting Black Women

The Advisory Council includes: Planned Parenthood President & CEO Alexis McGill Johnson, Black Futures Lab Principal Alicia Garza, Backstage Capital Founder & Managing Partner Arlan Hamilton, Professor and Author Ilyasah Shabazz, Wake Forest Professor Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry, the University of Southern California Provost Professor Dr. Shaun Harper, Until Freedom Co-Founder Tamika D. Mallory and the NAACP’s Director of Youth and College Division Tiffany Dena Loftin

SheaMoisture is committed to serving those who have been underserved. Shea butter is one of the brand’s core ingredients, praised for its hydrating, nourishing, and repairing properties, and is ethically sourced from women’s co-ops in Northern Ghana as part of SheaMoisture’s purpose-driven Community Commerce business model. Built on the core belief that commerce can bring true economic independence to communities and empower women to break the cycles of poverty, the brand directly reinvests in the communities it serves throughout the US. SheaMoisture continues to create economic opportunities for women and other minority entrepreneurs in its ecosystem with engaging events, investment funds, and educational programs. SheaMoisture is a global beauty leader in the hair care, bath, body, skincare, baby, and men’s categories, and is distributed in retailers throughout the world. SheaMoisture is a subsidiary of Unilever

Today, SheaMoisture announced the Advisory Council to its Social Justice Coalition (SJC), an investment fund and advocacy campaign dedicated to supporting Black women-led community activists and social entrepreneurs, under SheaMoisture’s $1 Million Community Commerce Fund.

The Social Justice Coalition was announced in June 2020 in the wake of international unrest resulting from the death of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black EMT who was shot and killed in her home by the Louisville Metro Police Department.

The officer’s responsible for her death remains at large and Breonna Taylor has become a rallying cry, a powerful symbol, and a constant reminder of the ways in which Black women remain unprotected in our society.

“Black women continue to lead movements advocating for justice and equity for their communities, however, the Black woman is not always as successful at garnering the same level of support for her own needs,” said Simone Jordan, Head of Community Commerce at SheaMoisture. “The SJC aims to not just protect Black women and their families, but provides critical infrastructure, funding, and support to amplify the work and impact she has in all of our communities.”

The selected activists will be paired with a member of the Advisory Council who will mentor them throughout the SJC partnership and advise the Sundial Brands leadership on the future direction of not only the SJC but the racial and social justice work the company has committed to globally.

“It is important that the Advisory Council for the Social Justice Coalition is overwhelmingly made up of Black women,” said Sundial Brands CEO, Cara Sabin. “Black women are often overlooked in politics and yet remain the most civically engaged and loyal electorate the country has to offer.” SheaMoisture has always been committed to supporting Black women entrepreneurs by developing meaningful relationships, substantive partnerships, and programs with those in our community, in order to provide long-term solutions with sustainable impact. As we expand to amplify social justice advocacy as a cornerstone of the SheaMoisture brand, Black women must be at the helm of this most important work.”

SheaMoisture remains committed to co-creating with its consumers and providing solutions based on their urgent needs. The five key issue areas that the Social Justice Coalition will address are police reform, healthcare access, voting rights, economic justice, and educational equity. The issue areas and Advisory Council members were selected based on community recommendations.

Advisory Council Member and Presidential Endowed Chair at Wake Forest University, Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry highlighted the SJC as an opportunity to support lasting change. “For those legitimately committed to the importance of Black life, this moment bears a special responsibility to support the people in our communities working to enact substantive and sustaining change,” said, Harris-Perry. “I am excited to be part of SheaMoisture’s ongoing commitment to Black communities with a unique and powerful opportunity to support life-changing mentoring for entrepreneurial activists.”

Tamika Mallory, Co-Founder of Until Freedom and a “Face of Hope” in the latest British Vogue September 2020 issue shared her hopes as an Advisory Council member. “I am pleased to join SheaMoisture’s new Social Justice Coalition. The pursuit of justice stretches from the streets to corporate suites. I look forward to supporting SheaMoisture as it challenges the company to be a leading voice for equity and justice, especially for Black women.”

The SheaMoisture Social Justice Coalition will continue its aim of protecting and investing in Black women through a digital advocacy campaign set to launch in September 2020 and run through 2021.

The application to join the Social Justice Coalition opened on August 24 and closes on September 13. Proposals can be submitted here.

Featured Image courtesy of SheaMoisture