The Global retail store Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) is expected to share insights about the interventions that they have employed following their “racist hoodie advert”, in a two day conference that will be hosted by the Anti-Racism Network South Africa (ARNSA) from Thursday.
The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation said the retailer would be “expected to share insights about the interventions that they have employed following their racist hoodie advert”.
In January, H&M was embroiled in a racist scandal after it posted an ad of a black boy advertising a hoodie with the words “Coolest Monkey in the Jungle” printed.
H&M “unreservedly apologised” for the ad on its international website at the time.
The ad prompted members of the EFF to target and close down several local branches. They demanded H&M to shut down its local operations in the country
The conference, themed ‘Pathways to Anti-Racism’, will also host the UK based Show Racism the Red Card, in an effort to get insight into the rise of right-wing racism globally.
The country’s leading political parties, the ANC, EFF, DA and various civic groups and government department will also be part of the conference which will take place at Mancosa’s Johannesburg campus, in Auckland Park.
Sessions on day one of the conference will be open to the public while day two will be a closed session.
Among the topics to be discussed includes: how to deal with racists, responding to racism, building diversity and exclusivity in the workplace and also gives perspectives on racism globally and locally.
Source: IOL
