The Independent is donating £120,000 worth of advertising space across its publication to Black-led organisations to aid their efforts in enacting change.
The initiative, which announcement coincides with Black History Month, will see the platform partner with eight Black-led companies.
Notable names include Black Equity Organisation, The Safety Box, The Ubele Initiative, The Black Curriculum, Mentivity and Swim Dem Crew.
The campaign’s funding will begin at the start of 2024 and continue through the year, highlighting its dedication to achieving lasting change for Black communities.
The Independent’s latest initiative builds upon last year’s programme, which overran by one month.
Tyson Holmes-Lewis, Leon Wright and Sayce Holmes-Lewis (CEO), co-founders of Mentivity, said: “We are extremely proud to be recipients of The Independent’s Black History Month Initiative.
“As a Black-owned organisation, marketing and communications can prove costly and reaching a wider audience can also be difficult. This advertising space donation will allow us to reach a greater audience who can lend support to the important work we do in our community.”
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Milk Honey Bees, a Lambeth-based social enterprise supporting Black girls, will also receive advertising via The Independent’s platform.
Founder Ebinehita Iyere spoke about the opportunity to showcase the “amazing work that girls at Milk Honey Bees are doing to ensure Black Girlhood is seen and heard.”
“This partnership is an important part of our wider mission to support the needs, wellbeing and safety of Black and mixed Black girls within the education system and wider society,” Iyere added.
The Independent’s campaign follows a recent study by conducted by Cambridge University on the behalf of The Voice newspaper, that revealed more than 75% of Black British respondents believed that advertising campaigns portray black culture better than they did 10 years ago.
The survey, with marketing support from M&C Saatchi, revealed there is still much work to be done to address the inequality within the sector.
