This petition has been written by Anum Chandani, Hira Hashmi & Marvi Ahmed

Dear Alan Jope

We write this letter to you in the wake of anti-racist and anti-blackness movements against systemic, institutionalized racism and demand that Unilever take accountability for its product, Fair & Lovely. This product has built upon, perpetuated and benefited from internalized racism and promotes anti-blackness sentiments amongst all its consumers. The multi-million dollar ads for the product have depicted wheatish and dark complexion men & women as insecure who then become confident and successful in their everyday lives only by lightening the complexion of their skin with help of the product. Colorism, discrimination based on the color of your skin, is a direct by-product of racism affecting millions of people today, that fairness creams such as Fair & Lovely continue to advance.

Unilever prides itself as an organization that celebrates and advances diversity and inclusivity. Recently, Unilever pledged more than 1 million USD (0.2% of Fair & Lovely’s revenue) to organizations and activists working for social justice and racial equality. However, continuing with the production and sale of Fair & Lovely is directly contradictory to that pledge.

You acknowledged that it is a corporation’s responsibility to take action to create systemic change to address institutionalized racism and social injustice. In view of your said values of inclusivity and corporate responsibility, we demand Unilever to:

1. Stop producing and marketing Fair & Lovely 
2. Reassign employees associated with Fair & Lovely to other Unilever products in order to ensure that none of the employees are adversely affected as Fair & Lovely ceases production
3. Issue a public statement acknowledging the part Fair & Lovely may have played in indoctrinating anti-blackness sentiment

Aline Santos Farhat, Global Executive Vice President of marketing at Unilever, recently stated, "The current cultural conversation is so painful and heartbreaking, it's important for brands with a voice and a platform to speak out against racist hate and violence, but it's critical that we do this in the right way." We believe the “right way” is to actively fight against racism and its institutionalized ideas and practices. We believe by halting production and sale of Fair & Lovely, and by acknowledging the adverse impacts the product has caused, Unilever will become a true ally and leader in the world's fight against racism and colorism.

We have faith that you will choose to be on the right side of history.