FACE July 2020 issue
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FACE JULY 2020 BLACKOUT EDITION Vol 1 Issue 3 ES 5 50 IT 5 00 FR 5 34 GB 5 00 USA 6
E L B A T N O T E Amanda s Opening Message B L A C K O W N E D Cosmetics Apparel Stationary Accessories B L A C K V A L U E Voters Dollars W O R K I N G W H I L E CONTENTS F O 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 E D I T O R S B L A C K The Untold Story of an Honest Worker B L A C K A L L Y What to do or don t T H E S E X U A L I Z A T I O N O F B L A C K W O M E N Trigger Warning Sexual Assault Sexual Violence mentioned B L A C K I S S U E S Black Health Black LGBTQ H A L L O F KLUR Skin Co F A C E
FACE Editor s Note EDITOR S NOTE Time is a fascinating construct Imagine being the first person on earth to notice how night and day are forever consistent How it s the one and only guarantee in this life You may not know how tomorrow is going to go but you at least know the sun will come up And from then on everything in life is based on time There are good times and bad times There are milestones and changes Time with people time to eat time to sleep time to do everything you want to in the one life you are granted For many of us time in 2020 is going to be tough to explain to those who weren t here to witness it themselves We have all been effected by the force of mother nature whether it be the unbearable loss of a loved one or time away from work But for a specific population of people the unbearable loss has been here a long time There was Trayvon Martin Eric Garner and Michael Brown And before them it was Emmett Till and Rodney King And before them it was segregation and slavery Black people in America have suffered and fought for human rights and equality through 400 years worth of generations That is each Black child born or brought to America has learned experienced and adapted to racism racial bias and discrimination and being held down Our time here has never been easy Well it s also 2020 And Black people don t have to take that shit anymore So here s to us May we be educated supported uplifted and celebrated for our talents intelligence and strength demonstrated for 400 years Because baby we re still here We are not extinct beings And we have the power to create our own space no more of that asking mess Many of us have already done so and are looking to bring their brothers and sisters along for more generations of abundance and wealth It is with that in mind that I bring to you this special issue of FACE dedicated to my Black and Brown community that I cherish so much To say you have inspired me is an understatement In here you will be connected to your culture and empowered to continue this fight From Black entrepreneurs to living while Black in America I want this to be the foundation of new discussions I want us to learn and come together I hope you enjoy this craft of Black excellence and I again thank you for your tremendous support I do it all for you And to my non POC readers I ask that as you read you put yourselves in our shoes as best you can for a moment We appreciate you being here and hearing us And remember you are a guest here Welcome to the Blackout Amanda Broadus 2
FACE Column BLACK OWNED We own more than we know in this nation Black owned businesses are finally getting the promotion and traffic they more than deserve Here FACE has gathered 6 Blackowned brands and businesses from various industries Vote with your dollar and give these brands a holler SKINCARE KLUR STATIONARY AYA PAPER CO Who says beauty can t be clean ethical and Stationary junky meets eco friendly fiends at Aya diverse Klur founded by Lesley Thornton Paper Co This sustainable women owned brand emphasizes quality products with an ethical makes birthday s holiday s and anniversaries twice conscience Women owned and operated the as special with recycled materials and skincare brand prides itself at being simple environmentally conscious practices Created by usable and providing long term benefits SaVonne Anderson the eco conscious company offers notecards candles tote bags and more APPAREL MELANIN IS LIFE Founded by Black man and wife this lifestyle brand is all about BLACK POWER and proud of it Gene and Jas are committed to making Black voices heard without having to do the heavy work Built to educate celebrate and motivate Melanin Is Life is for the Black EYE WEAR COCO AND BREEZY Created by twins Corianna and Brianna Coco and Breezy brings fashion and eye wear together With various styles for optical and sunglasses this Black women owned brand is paving the way for foureyed fellows community SWIMWEAR BFYNE MAKEUP UOMA BEAUTY Stop spending your hard earned coins on Founded by Sharon Chuter Uoma Beauty is based expensive cheap swimsuits BFYNE offers on beauty rebellion African pride and swimwear cover ups and jewelry to showcase empowerment The Black owned beauty brand your best beach body yet Created by Nigerian creates innovative products for all shade ranges American Buki Ade this sexy swim line fits and aspires to co exist freely in the world every curve of the body and boasts flashy African prints 3
FACE Column e u l a V BLACK BLACK VOTERS BLACK DOLLAR For centuries we have been treated as if we have no value Black people were told we are not even worth an entire human life but 3 5ths of it and were prevented from voting Black Power goes beyond the fist and extends to the Black Dollar The Black Dollar is powerful In a single year Black people spend 1 2 trillion total in all categories and industries Those laws are no longer in effect yet Black voter turnout numbers are significantly lower in every election from local state and presidential than counterparts In the 2012 presidential election Black communities had the highest recorded turnout in history at 66 6 If we break it down by industry you ll see despite our accounting of only 13 of the U S population we spend a greater proportion of that percentage across multiple categories In cosmetics alone we spend 5 7 billion a year And of the 3 4 billion total spent on personal soap and bath Black people make up 41 6 of those sales at 1 3 billion Unfortunately that number dropped to 59 6 in the 2016 presidential election Why is this Our ancestors fought for that right to vote and we fail to exercise it We voted to get the first Black President in office but failed to vote against the biggest Bigot as his successor Not to forget the lower turnout rates for local and state elections Black people we must do better These are literal life and death matters If you can investigate your ex s Instagram activity for hours looking for clues you can damn sure research officials on ballots and make an informed decision That is your right These elections determine Mayors Sheriffs District Attorney s Judges Governors State Legislatures Senators Representatives in Congress People that speak for you when it matters most These are the officials who give charges act as law enforcement oversee your court cases and monitor public safety We need your voice It counts You count For further understanding let s step away from beauty and look at basic necessities like food Specifically veggies and grains Black people spend 472 3 million of 941 2 million per year That makes 50 1 of sales of veggies and grains alone in the U S So when we say vote with your dollar we literally mean it As Black people we hold the power We have been here since the beginning and we aren t going anywhere Let brands know you re here and watching them Let brands know you want Black executives before you buy Let brands know you don t support their unethical practices that negatively effect our communities most Let brands know how they failed to represent you and you no longer stand for them Practice being a conscious shopper and take back your power If you can investigate your ex s Instagram activity for hours looking for clues you can damn sure research officials on ballots and make an informed decision 4
FACE Column WORKING WHILE BLACK THE UNTOLD SIDE OF AN HONEST WORKER Johnnae Bennett 22 began working at the age of 15 Growing up in a middleclass suburban neighborhood Bennett was surrounded by wealthy children with privilege I wanted to buy my own shit says Bennett I hated being that person at the mall who couldn t buy anything Bennett has worked a total of 18 jobs within the last 7 years But they ve all been different she adds I ve worked retail management roles food all the way to athletic wear and medical insurance The Indianapolis Indiana native has occupied numerous job positions and has only been let go once which she believes to be wrongful termination I worked in the medical field at the time We would call people for medical bills and their names would just pop up in the queue The company at which she was employed had recurring threats of lawsuits for harassment Patients who asked to be removed from the list became frustrated when the request failed to be met I was terminated to prevent a lawsuit from happening Bennett confides She was never informed of the family s issue with the company Their names showed up in my call log and everyone that called that number was terminated Bennett had only been an employee of 3 months at the time But this wasn t her first or last encounter with unfair treatment within the workplace When asked what it is like to work while Black her answers varied I definitely feel like there have been some companies that hired me just so they can say they re diverse You can just tell by the way they treat you And sometimes they are super rewarding because they care about what you do and they see what s going on in the world sexually harassed by another employee To the point my mom had to threaten to call the cops if nothing was done The employee was fired afterwards but only after the assistant manager a woman stepped in to help But Bennett still worked in fear that he may come back to the store for her He was 6 2 and I m 5 2 she tells Soon after Bennett resigned from her position In her experience she s discovered pros and cons to starting work at an early age Pros included learning the value of a dollar and how to work But cons were what lead to going into jobs immaturely she says Like I would come to work hungover and they would write me up and send me home But my mom always told me rather be sent home We asked the current Ulta employee if she from work than to call off believed her race and gender ever prevented her from getting or keeping a To that we say job amen Absolutely My gender specifically In all her experience she says she has never come across blatantly racist people however she notices how some people treat her different than her White coworkers But her skin color isn t the only drawback within the workplace Her junior year of high school she was 5
The BLACK ALLY June 2020 marked a significant month where a new character trait or a few Karen was established Being the Black Ally For more than 400 years Black communities and culture were stolen burned brutalized and appropriated Marginalized communities now experience twice as much violence poverty and unjust treatment in America We Black citizens know this life is nothing new however many of our counterparts have recently woken up and are ready to join the fight with Black and Brown communities to advocate and demand justice But many don t know how This column is not here to tell you how as there are many useful resources available now more than ever via the internet and social media And that is the number one action White people and other counterparts can do to help B la ck Liv es Ma B L tte r M Ju st f Bl Silence is Betrayal ic e or ac k li v es Do the damned research on your own As an ally to POC you must step out of your privilege and do your best to walk an inch in our shoes Reading books watching informational programs donating to Black organizations and supporting Black businesses There is something you can do in every area of life Every industry contributes to systemic racism yes yours too you just have to open your eyes and try to see what we see on the daily To be a true ally know important information about the Black community FACE Column Black and African American are not interchangeable Slaves in Africa were taken to various places across the globe between 1502 and 1866 The term AfricanAmerican only applies to descendants of African slaves who now reside in America And majority of us don t know where we re from Privilege check do you know where your ancestors are from If so did you have to do a DNA test or could you just ask your mom and she tell you Strong Black woman is not a compliment Recognize that Black women are human too and have feelings We are not indestructible We are not lacking in emotions and we bleed the same as you Allow a space for Black women to be vulnerable and taken care of Listen to understand not to respond When you are in a dialogue with a POC do not counter their confession in any way As a non POC you are not qualified to speak on POC issues Your one and only job is to listen and learn This is not about you Remember you are the default race and therefore benefit from your existence alone This fight is for us You are a guest to Black culture you are not Black culture But we appreciate your voice in this movement 6
FACE Column Trigger Warning sexual assault and sexual violence mentioned Please see the resources at the bottom of page 8 if you need them THE SEXUALIZATION OF BLACK WOMEN The Black woman Referred to as the least protected and respected person in America but still the most imitated person in America From our speech to our fashion the way we run households and our natural intelligence Black women have pioneered in multiple industries and received little to no attribution Collectively Black women have the highest collegiate graduation rate in America Yet we continue to be highlighted as music video girls the hip hop friend in White sitcoms and of course the angry Black woman in media Well we re certainly angry thanks for noticing We are also within our right to be angry as our oppression has always rang louder than any other race or gender The intersectionality of being both Black and female makes this life undesirable in America We feel betrayed by our country s promise to protect us We feel unwanted by our men our friends our jobs We feel misunderstood and unheard in conversations We feel unprotected within our communities In reality we are everything Black women are your wives and mother to your children Black women are you doctors Black women are your financial advisors Black women are your trusted friends And no matter what race the sexualization of women and children are completely unacceptable But Black women are excluded in these discussions of ending sexual harassment Black girls are excluded from plans to protect children from predators On the regular Black women and girls continue to disappear and become victims of sex trafficking and slavery In the U S 40 of confirmed sex trafficking survivors are Black women You see it in documentaries like Surviving R Kelly where for years the former artist lived in plain sight not even daring to hide as he collected young girls for years and separated them from their families robbing them of a normal life and the chance to pursue their dreams How many R Kelly s are out there causing more damage and destruction to Black families Why are our cries ignored and reports unreported Black women are disproportionately at risk for sexual assault According to the American Psychology Association for every Black woman who reports a rape 15 Black women don t report By the age of 18 Black women are up to 60 likely to be coerced into sexual contact and 1 in 4 will be sexually abused These reports are staggering and only begin to highlight the forever ignored problem In their lifetime Black women are 35 likely to experience some form of sexual violence We must protect our Black women We need to It is very important Work as an ally includes reading and listening to Black voices sharing experiences with sexual violence work to understand all the ways intersectionality disadvantages Black women in America and getting involved with organizations focused on implementing policies to better protect Black women And to Black women protect yourselves and each other Incorporate buddy systems and in case of emergency plans And most importantly start speaking out and keep speaking up Closed mouths receive no assistance We will be here to help 7
FACE Column BLACK HEALTH Black people in America are living with chronic illnesses A report by the Center for Disease Control revealed a 25 decrease in death rates among Black Americans between 1999 and 2015 The CDC states that Black people 65 and above saw a gradual decline in death tolls within the 17 years But strangely Black people suffer most from the worst health conditions in the country Black Americans ages 18 to 49 are twice as likely to die from heart disease than Whites and recent data has shown younger Black Americans are diagnosed with conditions typically found in older White Americans We are also more likely to die earlier from it What a shocker Being Black in America comes with many disparities but health issues are a significant contribution Nineteen percent of Black Americans ages 18 49 cannot seek medical care because of expenses Conveniently most Black communities reside near chemical plants which release toxins into water streams and the air And for those who can seek treatment they receive low grade medical attention What can we do We can save ourselves Black medical professionals are coming to aid our communities by offering their services with low to no cost Health In Her Hue is dedicated to connected Black women with Black healthcare providers Their website healthinherhue com offers a free membership plan to connect to competent medical professionals and directly ask your questions on the site forum Find your therapist pediatrician or your next facialist And keep yourselves protected out there BLACK LGBTQ Black lives matter And that means all Black lives The Black community needs to do better at remembering that too The Black LGBTQ community has never been fully supported by the Black community nor the LGBTQ community For years Black queers have been at the forefront of social movements fighting for equality whether it be gender or race related And for years Black trans men and women have been hunted sexually assaulted and murdered without as much as a media report on the tragedies The disregard for their lives has gone on too long and we the Black community must do better to include protect and validate them because they too matter While all Black people experience discrimination throughout their lives Black LGBTQ members experience it twice as much in double the places Economic insecurity rejection from religion and assault are common outcomes faced A 2012 study reported 32 of children in Black same sex homes live in poverty compared to 13 of Black heterosexual homes and 7 for White heterosexuals As we know support goes beyond just saying To really back it up we need to lend our time ears and money to Black members of LGBTQ If you don t know someone personally within the community to hear experiences begin your end to ignorance by supporting organizations dedicated to creating a space The Center for Black Equity and the Transgender Law Center have information stories and movements to aid in our understanding It is not their job to educate us when we have the necessary tools and capability to put ourselves in their shoes and learn Keep that same energy all the way through SUPPORT HOTLINES If you or someone you know has been affected by issues relating to sexual aggression please reach out for help at 800 656 4673 or WWW RAINN ORG The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community 1 888 778 5462 Trans Suicide Hotline 877 565 8860 8
FACE Hall of FACE HALL OF FACE The Magic of Klur Immersion Daiily Serum Moisture 68 Cleanser 22 Black female CEO s matter Lesley Thornton didn t know she would be the founder of her own skincare brand growing up The California native s passion began with hair and makeup in high school and then jobs at MAC and Estee Lauder As an MUA Thornton gained a lot of experience working with clients of different ethnicity s and backgrounds In 2010 she noticed clients frequently asking her skincare tips she felt Stellar unqualified to answer She then went to school to Restoration become an esthetician to learn formulations and ingredients 98 skin of her clients As more people became aware of the brand Thornton officially launched KLUR an 2012 brought new ventures with Thornton creating ethical sustainable prestige Black owned brand her own formulations and treating the formulated inclusively for melanated skin To me KLUR is more than just quality products and a conscious ethos It s about a human connection Black women were never given permission to dream let alone aspire to create legacies I m not sure what a future legacy looks like for KLUR But I do know in order to achieve a legacy one must be fully present for each and every moment in the building process the website about page reads She wanted something of higher quality ingredients with beautiful packaging but also clean and sustainable KLUR offers serums oils facial cleansers and exfoliating powders for hyperpigmentation super cool Skincare products geared towards Black people often contain higher concentrations of harmful chemicals Now more than ever it is important for us to be conscious of the products we buy and the brands we trust Because of this I proudly present KLUR with this month s Hall of FACE Award Clear your skin the KLUR way 9
