Today is the first day of Black History Month, a month dedicated to celebrating and reflecting on the impact Black Americans have had on our society. I feel so proud to call myself a Black American. We are resilient, strong, fearless, and have overcome so much to get to where we are today. We are engrained in the fabric of American history. My cousin recently sent my family a book titled “Little Legends, Exceptional Men in Black History” for us to read together this month. From Alvin Ailey to W.E.B. Dubois, there are beautiful examples of the impact these men have had on the world, and more importantly they provide a lens into the possibilities my kids can aspire to.

As a Black woman who wears many hats – wife, mom, CFO – I know much of what I do every day, particularly in my career, would not be possible without the sacrifice of my ancestors. For their fight to be treated equally and fairly in this world, I am forever grateful. The baton now rests with us, this generation, to continue the fight for justice and equality.

I am proud to be a leader in a company that upholds these values. For e.l.f. Beauty, diversity and inclusion have always been part of our DNA and we continue to lead with purpose. Our Chairman and CEO, Tarang Amin, has been vocal in his support for racial justice and steadfast in his intention of making it a priority for our company. Along with our broader Executive team, we continue to make progress – showing our support inside of our company and with organizations furthering the cause in our community.

We have held monthly forums, declared Juneteenth as a company holiday, and donated to Color of Change and other black organizations in support of anti-black racism. Our workforce improved from 7% to 8% Black employees over the last six months, and we further diversified our Board of Directors which is now 20% Black and 40% diverse. For Black History Month, we are donating to Black Girls Code, an organization whose mission is to “introduce programming and technology to a new generation of coders, who will become builders of technological innovation and of their own futures.” Black Girls Code aligns with e.l.f.’s purpose pillar of empowering others and we are thrilled to support this organization. We will also reflect and rejoice throughout the month by hosting equality and racial justice panels, celebrating Black Joy with our brands, and highlighting our employees here on LinkedIn.

As challenging as 2020 was, we were able to make progress as a company and as a nation toward recognizing the need for racial justice. This year, however, got off to a harrowing start with the insurrection at the Capitol, an event that cut at the heart of our democracy and offered a stark example of the differing treatment afforded to those whose skin is not black or brown. Thankfully, during the week of January 18th, we witnessed a peaceful transition of power and were offered a fresh start. I was filled with pride to start the week by celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and wrap up with the historic inauguration of Kamala Harris, the first female, Black and South Asian Vice President of the United States. Those back-to-back celebrations reminded me of the progress we’ve made as a people, and how much we have overcome.

Vice President Kamala Harris as well as former President Barack Obama are shining lights in our community. They both give our younger Black generations and all children something to aspire to – the highest positions in United States government have now had Black people in the role. Representation matters – young people seeing themselves in those who have soared to the highest heights will inspire them to reach higher. As a Black, female CFO, I hope too that I’m inspiring young women and men to reach higher. We can never stop aspiring for more and marching forward if we want to see continued progress in this nation. I’m marching forward for my boys with a light for anyone who wants to become a business leader. Kamala’s marching forward with a light for all women to follow in her footsteps.

On that note, I’ll end with an excerpt from the song Lift Every Voice and Sing. This song is often referred to as the Black National Anthem. Written as a poem by James Weldon Johnson and later set to music by his brother, it remains engrained in the fabric of Black History.

“Sing a song, full of the faith that the dark past has taught us, Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us. Facing the rising sun, of a new day begun, Let us march on ‘til victory is won.”

This is the first song I was taught, around the age of 5! I taught it to my boys so that they too can understand our history and have hope with each new day, we will continue to make our mark on history. Our continued progress relies on a relentless drive to keep marching on until victory is won.

- Mandy Fields, CFO e.l.f. Beauty

This past week the dialogue on anti-black racism and social justice began within many companies and in personal circles, across social media and in the news. Protests calling for justice for George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor brought these issues to the forefront.

Without the heightened media focus on these protests, or “riots” as they’ve been characterized, I wonder if we’d be having any of these conversations at all?   

Early last week, I brought this perspective to our company-wide town hall. I anchored on the words of Dr. Martin Luther King. In April of 1967, Dr. King delivered his “The Other America” speech at Stanford University, it was also one of the last speeches he gave in 1968 before he was assassinated. Dr. King’s words provide insight into why we cry out in times such as these:

“I think America must see that riots do not develop out of thin air. Certain conditions continue to exist in our society which must be condemned as vigorously as we condemn riots. But in the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it that America has failed to hear? … It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice, equality, and humanity.”

At this moment, the unheard have been heard. The tranquility of the status quo has been stirred. The conversations around social justice and racial equality have amplified. This inflection point, I hope, has sustained momentum and does not disappear when all the social media posts transition to the next topic. The conversations, education, donations and support need to continue. This requires personal commitment. Don’t be silent on the issue. Black lives matter; don’t be afraid to say it.  Your company will not have all the answers, your black friends won’t have all the answers. We need you, our allies, to dig deep to figure out how you will stand for change as we move forward. 

As a black woman with a black husband and sons, and as an executive in corporate America my experience is unique, especially as the two of these worlds collide in this moment. I am tired and my heart hurts for my people. At the same time, I have put on a strong face as we address these issues at a corporate level.  Someone told me this past week that they know I’m carrying a heavy burden right now. But to that I responded, “It’s not a burden to me – it’s my responsibility.” If my ancestors would have thought fighting for freedom and equality was a burden, I would not be in this position today. I am exactly where I need to be…providing a safe place for our Black employees and allies to speak freely, ensuring our voices are heard, and partnering with my peers on the e.l.f. Executive Team to drive change internally. I can’t do it all, no one person can – but I can influence the circles that I’m in and so can you. Take the first step, have a conversation, educate yourself on these issues, exercise your right to vote, and we’ll start to see the change we’re fighting for in this country.

If you want more information on how to start, below are some resources that could be helpful:

www.naacp.org

www.blacklivesmatter.com

www.colorofchange.org

This was a heartbreaking weekend, seeing the pain and unrest that is prevalent throughout our country. It made me reflect on one of my favorite quotes for strength:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” -- Martin Luther King Jr. 

As an Indian immigrant who was born in Kenya, I often faced subtle racism growing up in the U.S. Even after becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen, I still sometimes felt like an outsider who did not belong or was not welcome. I overcame those slights and, in some ways, believe it made me a stronger, tougher leader.

What I faced was nothing compared to my African American friends. I still vividly recall an incident early in my career at another company when a colleague came into work flustered and upset, having been pulled over by the police for the fourth time for no reason. The frustration and anguish in his face said it all. The harassment of our African American employees was so prevalent during those days that this company created a special hot line straight to the Chief of Police’s office. 

I’m saddened that 25 years later, we have not made nearly enough progress as a society. Again, I can see and personally feel the anguish. On a personal level, my wife Hirni and I take action by supporting civil liberties and social justice organizations such as the ACLU and the Mosaic Project. I’m also glad e.l.f. is donating to Color of Change, a fellow Oakland organization, focused on ending injustice and creating a more human world for Black people in America.

As a company, what gives me great hope and confidence is our inclusiveness. It was one of the things that attracted me to e.l.f. At first, I was reluctant to come back to beauty as so many companies are exclusionary in how they promote an unattainable, biased view of perfection. What I love about e.l.f. as a true disrupter is that we have always taken a much more democratic view of beauty with a deep commitment to diversity and inclusion.  

Celebrating the beauty of every eye, lip and face is fundamental to our DNA. It’s in our name and inspires us as a company. It is why people want to work, partner and engage with us. By standing with every eye, lip and face we cement that commitment by taking action to create a culture internally—and in the world around us—where all individuals are encouraged to express their truest selves and are empowered to succeed, and where we always strive to do the right thing for people. 

At this moment, my priority is to ensure that our African American employees feel supported in our collective condemnation of anti-black racism and that we stand in solidarity against injustice. In the coming days, we will host forums to allow for the safe expression of feelings and encourage open on-going dialogue.

Standing up is who we are, what we represent and how we support our community. It is not always easy. To some, it may feel like we are not doing enough. Others may feel it is too much. What I know is that we are committed to doing the right thing, in the best way we can, every day as we use our platform to make a positive difference in people’s lives.

As we continue to navigate this challenging year, I am confident in our collective commitment to supporting each other and our community. Our shared value system is the glue that not only holds us together, but also moves us forward.