We share in the collective voice of the Black Lives Matter movement. I, a Black woman of African descent, founded Juvia’s Place six years ago to create a space that upholds the beauty, creativity and fortitude of Black women. My company has been working to uplift the collective spirit and consciousness of Black people around the world ever since. Yes, we are a cosmetic brand, which may seem shallow or secular to some, but we have always had a much broader mission. Our goal is to beautify “blackness” in all its intricacies and shades. Black lives do matter, and Black is beautiful!
“I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality…. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.
I am a mother of two children, one of which is a son. I understand the unique worries Black mothers face in America. I worry about the possibility of violence upon his body, not from street gangs, but from the state. Our government and institutions were founded by laws that forbid the oppression of its citizens and non-citizens. But time and again those very legal constructs and systems, alongside willing media participation and propaganda, have excused such violence when it’s committed against Black bodies. It’s not only unlawful, it butts against the very terrorism that so many colonists and immigrants fled to America to escape. We are supposed to be a land of “freedom” and “equal opportunity,” but we have unfortunately only upheld that promise for certain citizens. We must and can do better!”
“If we accept and acquiesce in the face of discrimination, we accept the responsibility ourselves and allow those responsible to salve their conscience by believing that they have our acceptance and concurrence. We should, therefore, protest openly everything… that smacks of discrimination or slander.” —Mary McLeod Bethune
We are passionate about standing with the African American community and insisting that our Black Lives Matter. In addition, we support wholeheartedly all groups that have been systemically disjointed from their human rights around the world. Juvia’s Place is committed to not only being a part of the conversation, we want to be a part of the progress. Our brand is designed to inspire a sense of beauty and wellbeing within the soul of every person. As a darker-skinned woman, building a brand that focuses on recognizing and catering to the beauty of all brown skin (from the darkest to the lightest) is how I’ve chosen to invoke a sense of pride and worthiness in millions of women, my sisters, around the world.
“One day our descendants will think it incredible that we paid so much attention to things like the amount of melanin in our skin or the shape of our eyes or our gender instead of the unique identities of each of us as complex human beings.” —Franklin Thomas, activist, philanthropist, and former president of the Ford Foundation
Juvia’s Place believes in us. We will continue to be formative in the change we want to see. We pledge to donate $300k to support civil rights, and have already donated $110k to the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Black Lives Matter, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and Know Your Rights.
To all people who believe in equality, it is important to join together in the spirit of community during this critical time. It’s not enough to just care, you must change things with action. Please support criminal justice reform, civil rights issues for all people, educational advancement for all, and policing reformation policies.
“The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression.”- W.E.B. Dubois.
We’ve put together a list of some great organizations that need your help:
Victim Memorial Funds
- George Floyd Memorial Fund
- Gianna Floyd Memorial Fund (George Floyd’s Daughter)
- I Run with Maud
- Justice for Breonna Taylor
- James Scurlock Memorial Fund
- Tony McDade Memorial Fund
- David McAtee Memorial Fund
Criminal Justice Reformation
- The Sentencing Project
- The Marshall Project
- The Innocence Project
- Legal Services for Prisoners with Children
- Center on Juvenille and Criminal Justice
- National Police Accountability Project
- Communities United for Police Reform
- Campaign Zero
Civil Rights
- Black Lives Matter
- NAACP
- NAACP Legal Defense Fund
- National Urban League
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
Educational Advancement
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” - Mahatma Gandhi
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