The last few weeks have brought to light so clearly what many of us have felt and known for much longer – that the world can be an unwelcoming place for so many people of color. Not everyone in the Black community is seen and heard with equality and equity. At Redken, the last few weeks have been a time of great listening, deeper understanding, and reflection on the state of our communities and industry. Even in our own industry and in our brand, these principles that we cherish so deeply are not applied equally causing pain for our Black clients and stylists. We need to do more, so much more, for everyone to feel welcome, supported, seen, and heard.
As one of the first steps that Redken is taking to be a more inclusive brand and to support the Black community, we are committed to taking action and will work together with our community to drive long-term, meaningful change in our industry; a change that is long overdue.
HERE ARE SOME WAYS
• Our Black customers should feel confident that their stylist is able to offer the best salon experience, regardless of their hair type or texture. Since January 2020, in partnership with Mizani, Redken has taken steps to provide training to over 350 stylists and will continue this effort to ensure all clients can feel confident in their choice of stylist.
• Moving forward, you will see more diversity in our advertising, social channels, influencer campaigns, and more.
• We are organizing a diversity training for all of our internal brand teams, artists, and influencers at all levels. The goal of the training is to educate and empower our internal partners to be advocates for change.
We believe that actions speak louder than words. We are sharing the above to bring you into our thinking as to how we can take real, meaningful steps towards better diversity and inclusivity at our brand. We fully expect to have deeper conversations and for you to hold us accountable. We will continue to maintain an open, honest dialogue with you and we will share our progress on social media.
We are here to listen, to learn, and to use the full might of our influence as an industry leader to impact positive change. Thank you being a part of the Redken community, for using your voice to help us be better, and for participating in this journey forward.