CFDA Announces Initiatives to Fight Systemic Racism in Fashion Industry

The CFDA has outlined several initiatives targeted on making systemic change in light of the “deplorable acts of racism and violence that we have seen play out in our country over this past week,” as announced in a joint statement today by chairman Tom Ford and president and CEO Steven Kolb. It follows behind a string of similar announcements as brands, companies and people worldwide respond to the deaths of George Floyd — the African-American man who was killed while in police custody in Minneapolis last week — and others that have been killed by the police.

“Black people in this country are reeling from years of injustice stemming from institutional constructs such as slavery, segregation, mass incarceration, police brutality and economic and voter suppression,” the CFDA said. “The Black community is experiencing anger and frustration on top of the effects of the global pandemic that has hit communities of color the hardest.”

According to the statement, the CFDA held a board meeting on Tuesday to formulate various actions that the organization plans to take in order to “stand in solidarity with those who are discriminated against.” Among the initiatives, the organization plans to create an in-house employment program to aid Black talent, a mentorship program focused on Black students, and to begin immediately donating to organizations that benefit the Black community.

“Having a clear voice and speaking out against racial injustice, bigotry and hatred is the first step, but this is not enough,” the CFDA stated. “This is a deeply disturbing moment that speaks to us all…We must do something.”

See the full outline of actions from the CFDA’s statement below.

For more news, read about how the music industry is responding to the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests in America.

The CFDA outlines the below initiatives that will immediately be undertaken by the organization to create systemic change within our industry:

-The CFDA will create an in-house employment program specifically charged with placing Black talent in all sectors of the fashion business to help achieve a racially balanced industry. This program will be tasked with identifying Black creatives and pairing these individuals with companies looking to hire.

-The CFDA will also create a mentorship program and an internship program focused on placing Black students and recent graduates within established companies in the fashion sector.

-The CFDA will implement and make available to our members a Diversity and Inclusion training program.

-We will make immediate contributions and take up fundraising activities in support of charitable organizations aimed at equalizing the playing field for the Black community such as, but not limited to the NAACP and Campaign Zero – amongst others.