"Those displays peaked in the aftermath of George Floyd's May 2020 murder, as corporations fell over themselves in a collective rush to perform grief and solidarity. During Black History Month 2021, Nike observed the month by reworking the color schemes of some of its more popular sneakers for limited-edition styles and announced plans to distribute half a million dollars to nonprofits serving predominantly Black communities."
"By February 2025, just two of those same brands - Spotify and Ralph Lauren - mentioned Black History Month even once on the platform. The silence was neither coincidence nor accident. The years since 2020 have borne witness to one of the most vicious white backlashes to Black demands for liberation since Reconstruction."
"Ironically, that silence says far more about capitalism, cowardice, and complicity than any of their performative displays ever did. Brand social media accounts - once quick to flood timelines with MLK and Maya Angelou pull quotes - were noticeably hushed."
Black History Month 2025 saw dramatically reduced corporate participation compared to previous years. Major brands that once prominently celebrated the month with special collections, diversity initiatives, and social media campaigns have largely gone silent. In 2021, approximately 100 global brands mentioned Black History Month on Twitter; by February 2025, only two brands—Spotify and Ralph Lauren—mentioned it at all. This silence represents a stark reversal from the corporate activism that peaked following George Floyd's murder in 2020, when companies rushed to demonstrate solidarity through product launches, financial commitments to Black communities, and diversity pledges. The withdrawal reflects broader patterns of corporate retreat from racial equity initiatives.
#corporate-performativity #black-history-month #racial-equity-retreat #brand-activism #social-media-silence
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