January was National Mentoring Month, and Dark & Lovely chose not to be left behind.
The brand, a leader and pioneer in Black beauty products, launched Building Beautiful Futures: Closing the Opportunity Gap.
This is a multi-year commitment from the brand that gives young Black professionals and female college students career and educational equity.
“Opportunity Gap” refers to how people’s ethnicity, socioeconomic status, ZIP code, and race change the opportunities they receive in life.
This is the reality instead of people receiving the same chance to fulfill their potential.
There is currently an opportunity gap affecting young Black women, and it has only been heightened with the pandemic.
To help stem this disconcerting trend, Dark & Lovely has partnered with the NAACP Youth & College Division to offer career coaching opportunities, mentorship, and scholarships to recent graduates along with those currently pursuing four-year degrees.
Dark & Lovely’s brand ambassador, Storm Reid, has offered to lend her voice to uplift and inspire young women during the program.
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As a Black woman, college student, and actress, she understands the importance of having access to mentors and resources to help you reach your goals.
Making it by yourself is anything but easy, and the problem is compounded for Black women.
According to the Education Trust, only 36.1% of Black women have a college degree, compared to 51.4% of White women.
Despite this, Black women also have student debt of 22% more. To make matters worse, 50% of Black working women are seriously considering leaving their jobs because of a lack of mentors and support.
Through this program, the Dark & Lovely General Manager, Erica Culpepper, hopes to close the career and educational equity gap.
The program will offer young Black women essential resources—mentorship, care packages, career opportunities, and scholarships of $10,000 per year—to help them shape their legacy and embrace their potential.
