For years, major corporations pledged their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, DEI. They partnered with Black Women business owners, used our stories to prove they cared, and reaped the benefits, higher sales, positive PR, and increased brand credibility.
Now, they’re walking away.
H&M Started Using Buy From A Black Woman as a Prop, That’s Why I Walked Away
For four years, H&M partnered with Buy From A Black Woman, the organization I founded to support Black Women business owners. This wasn’t just another campaign but a real investment that brought visibility, resources, and opportunities to Black Women entrepreneurs.
And it worked.
Then, suddenly, everything changed.
Decisions about our partnership were made without me. Meetings happened without me. And the final straw? They canceled our signature International Women’s Day event without telling me. Just dropped it in a team call like it didn’t matter.
When I raised concerns, I was told,
“I would ask that you not assume bad intent given our history as a partner, especially during this moment.”
That’s exactly when I knew this was about bad intent.
Our partnership had a real impact. At one event, a single store exceeded its sales goal by 30 percent. Yet when I asked for just $25,000 more to expand our work, I was told there was no room in the budget.
I had two choices,
Let them continue using me and Buy From A Black Woman as a DEI placeholder, or
Walk away on my terms.
I left.
Black Women Business Owners Are Paying the Price for the DEI Rollback
H&M’s shift isn’t an isolated case. Corporations like Target, Salesforce, and Wells Fargo have cut DEI programs, walked back supplier diversity efforts, and eliminated funding streams that once helped Black Women's businesses thrive.
The data is clear, after 2020, Black Women-owned businesses saw a rise in corporate partnerships. But many of those relationships didn’t last. As soon as public attention shifted, so did corporate dollars.
Meanwhile, companies still benefit from the goodwill they built during the height of DEI initiatives. H&M’s Inclusion & Diversity Impact Report highlights the work of Buy From A Black Woman. Even after I left, they wanted to include us in their 2024 report, profiting from our name, our impact, and our credibility.
That’s not partnership. That’s exploitation.
We Need Corporate Accountability, Not Performative DEI
If corporations truly value diversity, they must invest in it for the long haul, not just when it’s profitable. Here’s what needs to happen,
Transparency: Companies receiving tax breaks or government incentives for supplier diversity should publicly disclose their spending, who they’re working with, how much they’re investing, and what their programs are accomplishing.
Accountability Standards: Corporations receiving government contracts should be required to meet specific benchmarks for working with Black-owned businesses. Why can't corporations do the same if the government sets diversity goals for public contracts?
Reinvestment: If a company profits from a diversity initiative, whether through increased sales, customer loyalty, or positive PR, a percentage of that revenue should be reinvested into supporting those businesses.
Consequences for Broken Promises: Companies shouldn’t get to profit from DEI and then walk away without repercussions. There should be financial and reputational consequences for brands that use diversity for marketing but refuse to commit to it long-term.
Moving Forward, What Consumers and Business Owners Can Do
The era of feel-good diversity statements is over. If companies can’t stand by their DEI commitments when it’s no longer trendy, they shouldn’t be allowed to profit from them in the first place.
Consumers, lawmakers, and business leaders need to start asking more challenging questions:
-When companies make diversity promises, where is the proof?
-When partnerships with Black-owned businesses end, what comes next?
-When the funding disappears, where does that money go?
Corporations love to highlight Black Women when it benefits them. They build entire marketing campaigns based on our work, then quietly withdraw their resources while profiting from our visibility.
That has to stop.
Black Women Business Owners Deserve Real Investment
We are owed more than just empty words. We need lasting partnerships, real financial commitments, and actual accountability.
When you support a Black Woman business owner, you’re not just supporting one Black Woman. You’re supporting a whole community.
And this is me, standing up for mine.
Nikki Porcher
Founder, Buy From A Black Woman