Diverse representation is an expectation, but as individuals no longer allow themselves to be defined in singular terms, there's mounting pressure on brands to understand and sensitively reflect how the intersections between race, gender, class, and ability impact people's everyday lives.

Ethnic minorities have long been underserved when it comes to hair care, but Mayvenn is challenging how black Americans are catered to both as consumers and as professionals. It’s allowing salon owners and stylists to guide and sell directly to clients who they once might have sent elsewhere.

For women of colour, finding a nearby stylist within a reasonable price range can seem like a near-impossible task. The Bantu app offers a solution for people seeking care for their ‘kinky, coily, and curly hair’, providing them with access to prices, available styles and reviews in their area.

From the record-breaking Black Panther, to viral ‘Black Twitter’ memes, it’s clear that black Americans are cultural catalysts. Canvas8 talks to Jerome Williams, marketing professor at Rutgers University and founder of Walker & Company, Tristan Walker, about how black Americans are influencing culture.

Whether it’s throughcommunity activism,inclusive ads at the Super Bowl,special accommodations in stores, orbody positivity in games, people want their identities, histories, and stories built into the fabric of broader culture. They want those who represent them to provide tangible action to support and platform the experiences of their communities. As the founder of eponymous streetwear brand Mikey Trapstar summarised in aninterview with The Face:“The reason we are here today is because a particular culture has supported us. We started at the bottom and worked hard to get to where we are. We now have a responsibility to give back, we have to make sure we keep the culture alive.” People have learned to spotvirtue-signallingby those who don’t truly have a vested interest in representing a community, meaning that lip service and tokenism will quickly be called out. This shift is a reaction to thesurface-level allyshipthat became commonplace in the years following protests in the summer of 2020 as businesses that failed to address their historic and internal systemic issues rushed to align themselves with marginalised communities without acknowledging or investigating their own practices and structures. Progress has been made since 2020, with60%of organisations surveyed by diversity and inclusion consultancy Paradigm in 2022 reporting that they had DE&I strategies in place – although only 16% had clear goals for improving racial representation. Many have bemoaned the short-lived gains made since 2020 as declines inmedia diversityhave revealed the shallowness of these commitments, while others feel that companies areonly an economic downturn awayfrom reversing that hard-won progress. For some,inequalityseemsbaked into the corporate system, and the only solution is to hand control to those who have a stake in seeing the communities they represent flourish. Brands that understand the value of working with diverse communities are responding with active collaborationsyear-roundand proving their efforts are not just for a marketing moment. They’re championing inclusivity that takes into account theinternal disparitieswithincommunities, while some are highlightingforgotten historiesthat have been whitewashed, giving people an opportunity to connect to meaningful, positive, and diverse stories. Loyalty and legitimacy are hallmarks of genuinely progressive brands that understand that collectivism is key to long-term success, which requires an investment in equitable culture internally and externally.