Stan Henkeman from the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation said the H&M case study could have important lessons for South African businesses about how to deal with racism. She added that the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation played a “transformative role” during the change. We intend on taking the processes that we have implemented in South Africa, and at our head offices in Sweden, globally into the stores that we have in various countries,” Mirzaie said. “We also teamed up with a black-owned creative and advertising agency.
The global fashion retailer also had training sessions for staff and management at its global offices, while training of staff in South Africa was attended by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). There had to be a diversity of thought and perspective, “not just diversity through what meets the eye”. Speaking at the conference, themed “Pathways to anti-racism”, Mirzaie said the company had to come to the realisation that its processes were not good enough. They demanded H&M shut down its local operations in the country. The advert prompted members of the EFF to target and close down several local branches. H&M “apologised unreservedly” for the advert on its international website at the time. In January, H&M was embroiled in a racist scandal after it posted an advert of a black boy advertising a hoodie with the words “Coolest Monkey in the Jungle” emblazoned across the front. “This was a big mistake and we simply got it wrong,” she told delegates. She said questions were raised after the incident about whether H&M was a racist company, but its position was and still is very clear. H&M’s manager for South Africa, Oldouz Mirzaie, told the conference that removing the racist hoodie advert and the hoodie itself from stores was not enough. The retailer shared insights about the interventions it employed, in a two-day conference hosted by the Anti-Racism Network South Africa (ARNSA) last week. ET: This story was updated to include a new photo.Durban - International fashion retailer H&M has learnt its lesson the hard way as negative sentiment towards the company escalated to more than 70% following its “racist hoodie advert” this year. Newsweek reached out to Progressive and the Harry E. The person who posted the sign issued an apology, writing, "I am so sorry for any pain I have caused and the negative attention it has brought to our beautiful community." There is no place in the Town of Millinocket for such a blatant disregard of human decency."Ī statement posted on Facebook by the company, which Newsweek could not confirm, was shared by WGME. Steve Golieb, chair of the Millinocket Town Council, released a statement on Tuesday, saying that the incident was "deeply saddening, disgraceful and unacceptable for any person, business, or organization to attempt to make light of Juneteenth and what it represents for millions of slaves and their living descendants.
Is Abortion Illegal? Your Rights in Every State as Roe v.Company Slammed for 'Racist' Juneteenth Sign: 'Enjoy Your Fried Chicken'.
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Our commitment to Inclusive Diversity and Equity is non-negotiable and we take action when individuals violate our code of conduct." In a statement to Newsweek, Allstate said, "We are terminating our contract with this independent agent. The sign is in direct violation of that commitment and doesn't align with our company's Core Values and Code of Conduct." We're committed to creating an environment where our people feel welcomed, valued and respected and expect that anyone representing Progressive to take part in this commitment. Progressive spokesperson Jeff Sibel wrote in an email to NPR, "At Progressive, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) are fundamental to our Core Values. And, is that an logo on the bottom right? Bet they also do Is this the type of hatred you want posted right next to your company logo? /P1KeJb5UOq- Geo1976rge June 21, 2022Īccording to WGME, both Allstate and Progressive have cut ties with the insurance agency, terminating all partnerships. Harry Reed Insurance in Millinocket, Maine put this sign in their window.