Honoring Past, Present and Future Black History Changemakers

At Urban Skin Rx® our mission is to recognize, represent and advocate for accessible clinical skincare for diverse skin tones with the greater goal to create a world in which we can all feel beautiful, confident and empowered by the skin we're in. As such, we celebrate the BIPOC community every day of the year. However, Black History Month holds a special place at our core.

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing the central role of blacks in U.S. history. Also known as African American History Month, the event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating black history.

After an especially challenging 2020, we decided to celebrate this month by honoring past, present and future Black History changemakers.

Here are a few figures from the past that we recognized and celebrated for paving the way for the changemakers to come:

Madam C.J. Walker (December 23, 1867 - May 25, 1919)

• Entrepreneur, philanthropist and political/social activist
• First female self-made millionaire in America
• Made her fortune by developing and marketing a line of beauty and hair products for Black women
• Made financial donations to numerous organizations, including the Indianapolis YMCA and HBCUs and became a patron of the arts
• In 1993, inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca, New York

Eunice Johnson (1916 - 2010)

• Businesswoman
• Served as secretary-treasurer of Johnson Publishing Co., the business empire she helped build with her husband John H. Johnson
• Created Fashion Fair Cosmetics in 1973 for women of color, which grew to $200 million in revenues
• Served as producer and director of Ebony Fashion Fair, an annual nationwide tour featuring haute couture and ready-to-wear fashions designed mainly for African American women from 1961 - 2009
• Raised millions for the United Negro College Fund to finance the education of HBCU students

Shirley Chisholm (1924 - 2005)

• Educator, Congresswoman, Activist
• In 1968, became the first Black woman to win a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives
• In 1972, became the first African American and first woman to declare candidacy for the office of the president of the United States
• Retired from Congress in 1983 and taught at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts

Ida B Wells (July 16, 1862 - March 25, 1931)

• Journalist, newspaper editor, suffragist, sociologist and feminist
• A leader of the Civil Rights Movement and active in women's suffrage and rights
• Co-founded the NAACP in 1909
• Bought a portion of the Memphis newspaper, the Free Speech and Headlight, and used it as her platform to champion African American civil rights
• Since our formation, we have been committed to fighting injustice against children, adolescent girls, women and the Black community.

Additionally, this Black History Month, Urban Skin Rx® sought to recognize and support individuals who embody Urban SKin Rx®’s values and are actively and responsibly promoting positive, social change in the fight against racial injustice.

We invited individuals to apply for the award through our website and demonstrate how they play a role in driving social and/or racial justice and how they align with our brand’s values and ethos. At the end of the month, five individuals chosen by our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee will receive Urban Skin Rx®’s Glow Award and will receive:

• $500 to non-profit/charity of choice by the participant
• $250 worth of products
• Recognition on social media

We understand that this is only a small token of our appreciation and support and we wish we could recognize so many other changemakers that are fighting for a brighter future for generations, but we are excited to help these special individuals further their causes!

As a company that predominantly serves and sells to BIPOC and women, we recognize that a single month isn’t enough. That’s why we are committed to celebrating the BIPOC community all year long - not only with our product innovations, but also by supporting and collaborating with black-owned businesses, bringing awareness to issues faced by the BIPOC community, providing financial support to organizations dedicated to supporting these issues and always having compassion for marginalized communities.

Black History month may be coming to a close, but our commitment and spirit of celebration is never-ending.

To learn more about our ongoing dedication, involvement and partners, please visit Non-Profits We Support and Brands We Love.