Sephora Is Making Its Employees Attend A Diversity Workshop After SZA Said She Was Racially Profiled

    The workshops are part of the beauty company’s new ‘We Belong to Something Beautiful’ campaign.

    Jame Jackson
    by Jame Jackson

    BuzzFeed Staff

    On June 5, Sephora will close more than 400 of its US stores for an hour to host a series of inclusion workshops for its employees after SZA said she was racially profiled in a store.

    Brian Ach / Getty Images

    Back in April, the Grammy-nominated singer said an employee in a Calabasas, California, Sephora store “called security to make sure [she] wasn’t stealing.”:

    SZA @sza

    Lmao Sandy Sephora location 614 Calabasas called security to make sure I wasn’t stealing . We had a long talk. U have a blessed day Sandy

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    The singer was in Sephora re-upping on her Fenty Beauty when the incident occurred.

    SZA @sza

    Can a bitch cop her fenty in peace er whut

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    Sephora immediately responded to SZA's tweet, noting their commitment to inclusivity for their customers:

    Sephora @Sephora

    @sza You are a part of the Sephora family, and we are committed to ensuring every member of our community feels welcome and included at our stores.

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    They additionally added, "Hi, SZA. We’re sorry to hear about your experience at our Calabasas store and appreciate you bringing this to our attention. We want to let you know we take complaints like this very seriously and are actively working with our teams to address the situation immediately."

    Rihanna, founder of Fenty Beauty, also sent SZA a Fenty Beauty gift card so she could "buy [her] Fenty Beauty in peace," which Sza posted on her IG story.

    Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/sza/?hl=en

    Sephora then announced on May 23 that it would provide inclusivity workshops for its stores, distribution centers, and corporate offices. The initiative is part of the brand's new tagline, "We Belong to Something Beautiful."

    Craig & Karl / Sephora

    "This store closure is part of a long journey in our aspiration to create a more inclusive beauty community and workplace," Sephora told BuzzFeed. "This has included forming employee resource groups, building Social Impact and philanthropic programs, and hosting inclusive mindset training for all supervisors."

    Additionally, these initiatives were already in place before the SZA incident, Sephora says. "While it is true that SZA’s experience occurred prior to the launch of the 'We Belong to Something Beautiful' campaign, the campaign was not the result of this tweet. However, it does reinforce why belonging is now more important than ever. Our entire organization is excited to set aside this time to re-commit to building an environment of inclusion."

    "Sephora believes in championing all beauty, living with courage, and standing fearlessly together to celebrate our differences," the campaign says. "We will never stop building a community where diversity is expected, self-expression is honored, all are welcomed, and you are included."

    Sephora

    Let's hope more brands get behind making a change and working to build a more inclusive beauty space for us all.

    Sephora