Meet The Women Taking BaCk Black Friday
These 3 fashion insiders are asking that instead of slashing prices on Black Friday, brands commit to giving back to Black and Indigenous organizations. Here’s how you can join them.
Manpreet Kalra, Chloe Jackman & Rachel Faller, founders of Reclaim Collaborative and the Reclaim Black Friday campaign. Photography by Chloe Jackman
When it comes to systemic racism and oppression, there isn’t a single industry that is immune. And while over the last year the brightest spotlight has been shown on the prison, policing, and justice systems, many fashion insiders know all too well that their industry has some serious work to do.
Anti-racism educator Manpreet Kalra of Art of Citizenry, fashion photographer Chloe Jackman, and designer Rachel Faller of Tonle are coming together to shape the future of sustainable fashion by working to dismantle systems of oppression across all aspects of the fashion and lifestyle ecosystem. Together, they founded of Reclaim Collaborative and the Reclaim Black Friday Redistribution campaign.
Last year, the campaign was a huge success—participating brands were able to redistribute $19,500 over the span of three days to Indigenous and Black led land-based organizations.
This year, from November 24th to 28th, brands taking the Reclaim Black Friday Redistribution Pledge are committing to redistribute at least 10% of total sales to organizations such as Dig Deep Navajo Water Project, The Chapter House, Soul Fire Farm, Black Farmer Fund, Amah Mutsun Land Trust, and others. The campaign focuses on land-based organizations in an effort to acknowledge the original stewards of this land and return it to those who have historically cultivated regenerative and healing relationships with the Earth.
“Thanksgiving is traditionally a day for reflection and gratitude, and for me I can’t reflect on the things I am grateful for without acknowledging the colonial violence this holiday is based on. That is why redistributing our profits is so important, especially on Black Friday, acknowledging that the economic and financial systems that our brand has benefitted from were built on the exploitation of others,” reflects Lindsay Woodruff of maraluna, one of the brands taking the redistribution pledge.
A bunch of amazing brands have already signed on, including Windy Peak Vintage, Meow Meow Tweet, tonle, Passion Lilie, Rosemarine Textiles, Slow Made, Body Parts Design, Elements by Land, maraluna, Its August, Bastet Noir, Spoils of Wear, fig nine, Daria Day, rue Santé, Jas it Up, and many more.
"Thanksgiving is steeped in America’s history of genocide and theft from Indigenous people,” says Manpreet Kalra. “The weekend of frenzied consumerism that follows further contributes to issues of racism and classism in this country. Reclaim Black Friday is dedicated to amplifying the work and voices of Indigenous and Black leaders, and a call to action for redistributing wealth to those who have suffered the most because of historic and continual exploitation in America."
Photography by Chloe Jackman
Whether you're a brand or a shopper, or even a reformed consumerist who was planning to sit the insane shopping day out, there are actions you can take right now to help make the movement a success.
If you’re a business
Reclaim Collaborative is signing on new brands by the day. The Redistribution Pledge calls on predominantly white-owned businesses to acknowledge how they have benefitted from intersectional privilege, and redistribute wealth to support initiatives driven by communities whose ancestors had their lands stolen from them and who were stolen from their lands.
“Systemic change follows cultural change. As brand owners, we have the ability to challenge what is accepted and do our part to redistribute funds from white-dominated spaces to Black and Indigenous initiatives,” says Rachel Faller, the founder of tonlé, a sustainable fashion brand, and co-founder of Reclaim Collaborative.
Kristi Reed, founder of Windy Peak Vintage, which was one of the first to sign on and participated last year as well, explained her decision this way, "As a business that has benefitted from intersectional privilege, we are taking the Reclaim Black Friday pledge because we cannot truly be an advocate of slow fashion and sustainable living without actively working to dismantle the systems of oppression that are so deeply embedded in our capitalist society. The redistribution of wealth and amplifying of Black and Indeginious leaders work is a small but important part of our journey as we continue to learn, expand and push forward."
Photography by Chloe Jackman
If you’re a shopper
Commit to spending your dollars with participating brands. “Instead of feeding into the environmental harm of consumerism, our hope is to encourage customers to support initiatives driven by communities whose ancestors were stolen from their lands, or who had their lands stolen from them,” says Chloe Jackman, co-founder of Reclaim Collaborative.
Everyone else
Truly changing up the system requires more than just switching up where you spend your money (although it’s a damn powerful first step). As part of the campaign, Manpreet collaborated with Indigenous and Black educators and activists including Katie Pruett of Ethical Style Journal (ESJ), Charlie Amáyá Scott and Kathleen Simonds Williams to curate a list of resources for collective learning. You can also listen to this podcast episode “Thanksgiving or Thankstaking?” which captured a powerful conversation hosted by Reclaim Collaborative last year.
Also, if you want to donate directly to the organizations doing the work, here are the ones Reclaim Black Friday is asking brands to redistribute to: DIGDEEP Navajo Water Project, Amah Mutsun Land Trust, Black Farmer Fund, Soul Fire Farm, and The Chapter House.
“This year has by no means been business as usual. It has forced many to rethink how they navigate their privileges. It has been the year in which inequalities and injustice have stared us right in the face and it is our responsibility to respond by challenging the systems we have come to accept as the status quo,” says Manpreet. “It is time we deconstruct, rethink, and rebuild a more just future.”