The death of George Floyd and subsequent riots throughout the US and beyond have resulted in an outpouring of grief, anger – and donations.
From Chrissy Teigen pledging $200,000 (Dh734,500) to help release protestors arrested over demonstrations to the cast and crew of TV show Brooklyn Nine-Nine donating $100,000 to the National Bail Fund Network, individuals and organisations have been opening up their wallets to support the anti-racism movement, #BlackLivesMatter.
Among those backing the cause is American-Iraqi beauty mogul Huda Kattan, who on Tuesday announced her brand, Huda Beauty, would be donating $500,000.
Its time for a change 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/sgonxpS2wn
— Huda Beauty (@hudabeauty) June 2, 2020
The sum will go towards The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP), a civil rights organisation founded more than 100 years ago in the US.
The brand made the announcement on Instagram, as it posted the simple black square that symbolises solidarity with the movements and justice for black Americans who have been subjected to police brutality.
"At Huda Beauty, we stand against racism today and always. In solidarity with the black community and the Black Lives Matter movement, we are pausing our regular content," the caption stated.
"Now is a time to listen, learn and reflect. We are joining in the fight against systemic racism, and we encourage those who aren’t familiar with the Black Lives Matter movement to educate themselves and take action."
The brand, which was founded in Dubai in 2013, also pledged to share resources and content to support and amplify the voices of people of colour.
"We stand for equality and while today we are making our voice heard in support of Black Lives Matter, we will continue to support all communities facing global injustices," the post added.
The $500,000 donation will go towards NAACP's Legal Defence Fund, which provides aid to African-Americans fighting racial injustice.
"Their mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons," Huda Beauty added.
Kattan, 36, has previously spoken about struggling with growing up in the US as the daughter of immigrant parents, telling The National this year she felt like she didn't "fit in".
“That was a challenge, just growing up in America with immigrant parents, but also not having money,” she said. “My parents were on welfare. Not having certain means – even basic means – was hard.
“I definitely felt like I was not up to the measure that my peers were at. And it felt really bad. And it definitely built this thing in me where I never felt like I was good enough, and it was a struggle because it took me a long time to recognise that I was always trying to prove myself."
Kattan also revealed she struggled with accepting her skin tone.
"I’m Middle Eastern and in the Middle East, traditionally, they haven’t liked richer skin tones," she said. "They’ve liked very fair skin tones. And I grew up thinking that my skin wasn’t light enough, which wasn’t right."
