Aurora James | Woman of the Year 2022
glamour.comPhotography by In Conversation with Aurora James didn’t set out to launch a movement that would reshape an industry in May 2020.
Business owners like James—who founded the sustainable lifestyle and accessories line —tended to be focused on keeping their brands afloat during the global pandemic.
But after the police killing of George Floyd and the subsequent protests for racial justice that erupted across the country, to do more than offer empty platitudes on social media about their support for the Black community.In an Instagram post that immediately went viral, she urged them to instead dedicate 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses (since Black people make up approximately 15% of the US population, she reasoned).“So many of your businesses are built on Black spending power,” she wrote. “So many of your stores are set up in Black communities.”Companies listened.
Ten days after her initial post, became the first major corporation to commit to the the nonprofit James founded after a flood of enthusiastic responses (more than 30,000 Insta-likes alone).
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