The North Face aims to boost their efforts toward racial inclusion.
Launched in November, the clothing brand has a one-hour course on social consciousness titled "Allyship in the Outdoors." Designated for individuals based in the United Kingdom, the course features four interactive models for educating users about racism and biases, and now offers a 20 percent discount for those who complete it.
The course assures that it strives "to help you be a better ally and to make the outdoors a safer and more welcoming place for everyone." The North Face expounds on its purpose for the course, which is to broaden safe outdoor activity for all, regardless of race.
“Privilege can give us access to the outdoors,” the course explains. “In this particular context we refer to ‘white privilege’ meaning that your race and skin color can give you access to the outdoors when others can be excluded because of historic, enduring racism and biases,”
However, the intention of the North Face offended some former buyers, who accused the company of being "woke" and announced that they'd be boycotting.
Historically, outdoor recreation has excluded Black people statistically due to a lack of resources and misconceptions about not being able to swim or hike, as pointed out by a 2021 CNN report. Safety is also a concern, like the 2020 murder of Ahmaud Arbery, who was confronted and murdered after being seen going for a jog through a Georgia neighborhood.
The North Face didn't back down from its attempts to educate customers in a statement to the New York Post.
“The North Face has always believed the outdoors should be a welcoming, equitable and safe place for all," the company stated. "This course aims to bring light to the barriers to entry preventing all people from sharing equally rewarding experiences in the outdoors."
