The John Lewis Partnership was founded on the principles of humanity, belonging and equality for all. Black History Month, which runs for all of October, is a chance for all of us to understand more about other cultures.
The theme of this year’s Black History Month is Standing Firm in Power and Pride, a powerful tribute to the resilience and unwavering commitment to progress that defines the Black community.
The need to stand firm together and support each other is as important as it has ever been. This Black History Month our Partners will be curating events to share knowledge and reaffirm John Lewis’ commitment to strength in unity.
We are proud of our Partners
Belonging and inclusion are at the heart of John Lewis, and we’re committed to making sure all of our Partners are supported and listened to. We have an active Unity Network - where ethnically diverse Partners and their allies can come together and share their experiences - and a Unity Forum to represent Black and ethnically diverse Partners, elevate members' voices and support inclusion, helping build a world where, one day, networks like Unity aren’t needed.
Unity Network is a member of Race Equality Matters, a UK-wide collaboration of thousands of organisations and their employees creating change to achieve equality in our workplaces. Last September we launched a new progression programme for ethnically diverse Partners called Elevate, aiming to increase representation amongst our leadership population. We also support Partners through Diversity & Inclusion learning to drive allyship within the workplace.
Diversifying our products
At John Lewis we care deeply about our diverse customers and want everyone to be able to find exactly what they're looking for. We are also passionate about championing Black-founded and inclusive brands all year round, and stock products that are representative of the diverse society that we live in - whether that’s toys, fashion, or beauty products.
We are proud to stock Very Puzzled, which creates games for children and young adults to explore the richness of Africa and the Caribbean to help ground themselves in history. We are also diversifying our beauty ranges to include more minority-owned businesses, for example Rihanna’s bestselling Fenty Beauty and Nancy Twine’s Briogeo haircare, inspired by her grandmother's homemade recipes.
LABRUM London brings a touch of West Africa to John Lewis
On 21 October, John Lewis will launch a new menswear collection from LABRUM London, a British brand set up by Foday Dumbuya to bridge the gap between western and West African culture. The new collection is John Lewis’ first menswear collaboration in over a decade, featuring designs inspired by Dumbuya's life travelling between Sierra Leone, Cyprus and London.
Dumbuya was recently nominated for British Menswear Designer of the Year by the British Fashion Council. He says ‘John Lewis and I have a shared passion for storytelling, for celebrating the UK's diversity, and a love for textiles. I can't wait to share this journey and celebrate the rich tapestry of culture and craftsmanship.’
The collection will be available online and in store at Oxford Street, Peter Jones, Stratford, Leeds and Trafford from 21 October.