(NEW YORK) — Nordstrom just made a commitment to Black-owned businesses.
The store has become the first major retailer to commit to a 10-year agreement with the 15 Percent Pledge, a nonprofit that holds large corporations accountable for supporting Black-owned brands.
“Long-term societal change cannot happen overnight and we’re in this for the long haul,” said president and chief brand officer Peter Nordstrom in a statement.
Nordstrom — which joins other retailers including Macy’s, Old Navy and Sephora in the commitment to 15 Percent Pledge’s mission — announced it would increase its purchases and partnerships with Black-owned or founded retailers tenfold by the end of 2030.
“Nordstrom has established new goals and benchmarks to help it become a more diverse, inclusive and anti-racist organization, and has made strides towards these goals through notable product launches and curations,” 15 Percent Pledge said in a statement.
What is the 15 Percent Pledge?
Created in 2020 by Aurora James, the 15 Percent Pledge is a nonprofit organization that aims to get retailers to commit 15% of their shelf space to products from Black-owned businesses.
According to 15percentpledge.org: “Over 13% of people living in the United States identify as Black and another estimated 2% identify as mixed race, totaling 15%.”
What started out as an Instagram post now has nearly 30 major retailers across three countries addressing racial inequities in retail.
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