In This Together
Summer mode is real.
Shortened work hours. Elongated summer nights. But the thing that makes summer, well, summer. Is that we’re all in this together. We’re all collectively squeezing every ounce of goodness that we possibly can before the hint of chill comes back. This summer… is different.
We’re in this together for another reason.
For change that goes beyond one summery night. The events that have not only led up to this summer but the systemic racism that has oppressed Black people for generations have made our hearts swell and souls ache at the injustice that has occurred.
We believe Black lives matter.
The fact that we need to say that is heartbreaking. We’re grateful for this season, a season to emerge, grow, and change for the better. Change for those who come to work for Cladwell, for all the hearts and minds of those who come into contact with Cladwell, and for supporting change that’s long overdue.
Great style should not come at a great cost.
There’s a cost of our actions or the lack thereof. For us, it’s not just business. It’s personal. We have a simple belief. Business should be a force for good. In lieu of sounding like a corporate behemoth (which we are not), we wanted to share who we’ve been listening, learning (and will continue to learn) from, and how we will practice showing up long after this season comes to an end.
WE’VE LEARNED FROM
BlackTech4BlackLives | Chuck Mingo | Latasha Morrison | Cleo Wade | Elaine Welteroth | Ibram X. Kendi | Color of Change | Jo Saxton | Black Lives Matter | Austin Channing Brown | Campaign Zero | The Conscious Kid | Devon Franklin | Oh Happy Dani | Be a Bridge Builder
And more…
We know our actions speak louder than words.
As Ibram X. Kendi said it best “we collectively strive to be anti-racist” and we want to start by sharing a shortlist of how we will practice showing up as accomplices while continuing to pursue our mission for a more just fashion industry, a more just world.
WE’RE SHOWING UP TO
Hire a proportional representation of Black employees
Make our storytelling and marketing representative
Connect and partner with Black creators to be more representative
Create an equitable culture that values people over profit.
Amplify and highlight Black women and men across our platforms
Read. Listen. Donate. Support groups advocating.
We believe our clothes matter.
This is meaningful work. Work that serves people. Work that stewards the earth. Work we are made to do.
This summer season will come and go.
But that does not mean we stop the work on anti-racism or in amplifying voices of Black women and men. We’re in this together.
With Love,