Retailers Celebrate Black History and Black Excellence
- 01/31/2024
Black History Month provides us all an opportunity to celebrate the incredible historical contributions of Black Americans to every community and every industry across the U.S. It’s also a chance to continue listening and learning about the Black experience of today and identifying opportunities to enact real change.
Explore some of the ways our members are celebrating Black History Month and Black excellence.
Bath & Body Works
In celebration of Black History Month, Bath & Body Works sponsored a special associate visit to the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. Associates traveled from Columbus, Ohio and New York and were met by local D.C. colleagues for a full day of learning and exploration at the 400,000-square-foot museum.The visit was coordinated by the brand's Inclusion Resource Group (IRG) MOSAIC and office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. MOSAIC is one of eight Inclusion Resource Groups established by Bath & Body Works which allow associates to connect with one another and to collaborate on ways to cultivate an inclusive workplace. MOSAIC'S mission is to help recruit, retain and empower Black associates at Bath & Body Works.
Learn more about Bath & Body Works visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture here.
Dollar General Employees Committed to Serving Others
Dollar General believes in core values of respecting the dignity and differences of others, as well as celebrating success and recognizing the contribution of others through our mission of Serving Others. The company celebrates these values every day, and its African American Employee Resource Group (AAERG) especially reflects on and honors their importance during Black History Month.
Dollar General’s African American Employee Resource Group (AAERG) is focused on impacting and enhancing the diversity of DG’s culture through community outreach, recruitment, development and education. To commemorate Black History Month celebrations, our AAERG reflects on and honors Dollar General’s mission of Serving Others by hosting several Days of Service that include volunteer opportunities for employees to give back in their communities throughout February.
DG partners with several historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) that have disciplines applicable to Dollar General’s business needs. In 2023, Dollar General participated in numerous recruiting efforts, career fairs, student mixers and move-in events, and various special events at its partner HBCUs. Additionally, DG attended the National Black MBA Association Career Expo to recruit talent and demonstrate the Company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
See more on how Dollar General recognizes Black History Month here.
Dollar Tree and Family Dollar Feature Merchandise to Celebrate Black History
In celebration of Black History Month, Family Dollar stores featured merchandise celebrating Black culture. The merchandise offering was complemented with a content-rich, engaging website landing page and social media support.
On Feb. 1, we commenced Black History Month with a thought-provoking panel discussion featuring African American trailblazers from within our organization, who shared insights into their career development and journeys. The dialogue covered various topics, notably emphasizing the importance of authenticity — urging individuals to remain true to themselves despite challenges. The panelists also addressed the critical theme of breaking misconceptions, highlighting the significance of dispelling preconceived notions.
Additional events scheduled for the month include:
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A voter registration drive and panel discussion focusing on the contributions of the civil rights movement and the impact of contemporary social justice organizations.
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A dialogue on financial health featuring our Chief Financial Officer Jeff Davis, and our Benefits partner Empower, a financial advisory firm.
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A new Inclusion and Belonging cultural series will launch to engage our field associates in Atlanta. This event will provide education on our history and celebrate the contributions of our field associates, concluding with a tour of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.
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A fireside chat on the topic of allyship with executive leaders and associates.
We are pleased to foster thought-provoking discussions, celebrate diversity and promote inclusivity throughout these events.
Canadian Tire Celebrates Black History Month
This year, Canadian Tire corporation (CTC) proudly celebrates Black History Month by hosting a series of employee events in partnership with the Black Employees Network (BEN), one of our many Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).This year’s events theme is “Empowered Voices, Boundless Worth.” It highlights the importance of advocating for oneself and others, while recognizing the inherent value and worth within each of us. In addition to the events being hosted, we are amplifying Black employees' voices through a spotlight series on LinkedIn.
Learn more about CTC’s approach to Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging here.
Hy-Vee Celebrates Black History Month
Levi Strauss & Co.: Celebrating Black Culture and Joy
Levi Strauss & Co. is spending the month honoring the incredible contributions Black Americans have made to the arts, our culture and our society.
LS&Co. kicked off the month with “Tell Us Your Story,” an employee listening and learning session organized by Project Onyx, our Black employee resource group (ERG). During the session, the ERG highlighted Black fashion and shared insights into their experiences as Black creators, both personally and professionally. Centered around cultivating, strengthening and sustaining positive relationships between LS&Co.’s Black employees and the company as a whole, Project Onyx focuses on recruiting, professional development, networking, cultural events and social gatherings to create an engaging and empowering organization.
As a company, LS&Co. embraces diversity in all its dimensions, recognizing its power in fostering diverse perspectives. For example, to identify and nurture our next-generation leaders, LS&Co. analyzed engagement survey data and conducted True Blue, our annual listening tour. This led to the creation of Elevate: Accelerate Your Career, a development program for Black and Hispanic/Latinx talent — one of our broader initiatives to support and develop employees from all backgrounds.
Kohl's Celebrates Black History Month
As we celebrate Black History Month at Kohl's, we continue to acknowledge the Black community’s profound impact on global culture and enhance the customer experience to include products and moments that resonate with all our shoppers. Check out a few ways Kohl's is honoring Black History Month:
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Kohl's has partnered with Erin K. Robinson, Emmy-nominated co-owner and co-founder of Brooklyn Dolly, to design the apparel, accessories and home goods in our “Black/Brilliantly” collection for Black History Month.
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To commemorate Black History Month, the National Urban League received $100,000 from Kohl's, through Kohl's Cares, to help support its mission to advance economic empowerment, health equity, educational, job and housing opportunities and ensure the protection of civil rights for marginalized communities across America.
Click HERE to read more on how Kohl's is celebrating Black History Month and to check out some of the Black-owned and founded brands available online and in-store, such as Dominique Renee, Black Paper Party and Glow By Daye.
Meijer Continues its Commitment to Black-Owned Brands, Small Businesses
Meijer remains committed to growing its selection of Black-owned brands to meet customer interest and demonstrate its support of small businesses in its communities. Since formalizing its Supplier Inclusion program in 2021, Meijer has grown its selection of Black-owned brands by nearly 35%.
Although customers can find Black-owned brands on Meijer shelves all year long, a curated product offering will be prominently displayed in all Meijer supercenters in celebration of Black History Month throughout February. The Collection spans various product categories, including Grocery, Health & Beauty and Home, offering customers a unique opportunity to further discover and support the Black business community.
When a certified diverse supplier joins Meijer, the Supplier Inclusion team welcomes them with a robust program, that includes onboarding, training and networking events that demonstrate not only how to do business with Meijer, but also how to grow within the retailer's six state footprint and three store formats.
Called the Meijer Grow Academy, this program helps diverse businesses every step of the way, presenting foundational material on brand strategy, marketing, product packaging, operating processes, and distribution capabilities, among other topics. Suppliers also receive 1:1 coaching from Meijer buyers, Supplier Inclusion and other business teams to help them strengthen their business in reaching more customers.
Meijer Supplier Inclusion programs are open to all diverse, non-diverse and local vendors.
To learn more about the retailer's supplier inclusion efforts, visit its Supplier Inclusion hub.
Ulta Beauty
Delve deeper into Ulta Beauty's DEI journey here.
Wayfair
This Black History Month, Wayfair is proud to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Supplier Diversity at Wayfair - a program that was designed in partnership with suppliers to expand the breadth of opportunities available to all Wayfair suppliers, including those traditionally underrepresented groups.Wayfair looks forward to continuing to grow this program, and its new partners along with it. Learn more about Celebrate Black Makers and shop Wayfair's Black-owned suppliers.
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