Words by Smiley Team
No, it’s not Black History Month yet, as you might imagine from this article’s headline. That’s not till October. But does that matter? Cosmetics brand Lush would think not and is spreading the word that Black history should be taught all year round with a new ethical bath bomb.
For two weeks, 100 per cent of profits (minus the VAT) from the #TBH365 bath bomb will help campaign group The Black Curriculum embed Black history in the national curriculum 365 days of the year through its #TBH365 campaign. On top of that the retailer will dedicate the window displays of its 100 UK stores to Black history.
Lush Wimbledon manager Nadia Monezero, who reached out to The Black Curriculum with Lush Guildford manager Angelica Abella, said: “We knew we wanted to support a group tackling the root cause of racism in the UK and agreed that education was the way forward, due to our own lack of Black history that we received in school, most of which we taught ourselves or by our parents.
“The Black Curriculum is an organisation run by young, gifted black individuals who went through the same education system as us looking to change it. We had to get involved. It’s not about giving a voice to the voiceless, for me it’s about amplifying their message.”
Shaped like a book and debossed with The Black Curriculum logo, Lush’s #TBH365 bath bomb emits shimmering gold and pink clouds into the bath, along with the smell of sweet vanilla. It is made only from natural ingredients and safe synthetics. Like all Lush’s products, the bath bomb and its ingredients have not been tested on animals.
Addie Tadesse from The Black Curriculum got to test the bath bomb out. She said: “After a tiresome week, there is nothing more comforting than taking the time to rest, reflect and recharge. The gentle aroma helped settle my mind and body, as I laid back and enjoyed the swirls of colours forming before me. Not to mention the beautiful design! Taking the shape of a book sporting The Black Curriculum Logo, this bath bomb is really unique in style."
In an effort to include Black people’s experiences in education, the organisation launched #TBH365 in 2019. Since then they’ve lobbied the British Department for Education to align with this mission.
“We are working towards #TBH365 as a way to encourage more than one narrative to be taught in curriculums across the country,” explained founder of The Black Curriculum Lavinya Stennett. “Our future is one where curriculums are broad and enriched with the many experiences of Black events and contributions.
She added: “The continued rollout of these curriculums and enriched exam board specifications through #TBH365 will allow each of us and all young people to build an equal future.”
Find more information about The Black Curriculum here. To support their campaign to create a more equal education make a donation.
You can also support The Black Curriculum by purchasing the #TBH365 bath bomb for £5.95. All proceeds will go to the campaign group minus VAT.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
