Outdoor brand The North Face is offering discounts to customers passing a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) course.
A 20% discount will be rewarded to those completing the “Allyship in the Outdoors,” course, which teaches customers about “racial inclusion” in outdoor activities.
“At The North Face, we believe in the power of exploration. As individuals, professionals and companies who share a love for the outdoors and exploration, we also have a responsibility to support spaces where everyone feels like they belong,” a course description reads, according to The Washington Examiner.
“The course focuses on perspective of race and racism in Europe, and we acknowledge that the experiences of people of colour around the globe differs. It will also provide training and resources, through 4 interactive modules, to help you be a better ally and to make the outdoors a safer and more welcoming place for everyone.”
According to the course, “white privilege” means “your race and skin colour can give you access to the outdoors when others can be excluded because of historic, enduring racism and biases.”
“There is no explicit policy that excludes people from the outdoors yet there are few people of colour. While there is no intent to exclude, the system in itself creates those barriers to participation,” the training adds. “It’s not easy to hear about these experiences, but it helps us to understand the bigger picture and the challenges which people of colour experience in their everyday lives.”
In July, The North Face advertised its “Summer of Pride” tour, partnering with drag queen “Patti Gonia.”
North Face’s website gave an explanation for the collection: “Each one of us is a reflection of the glittery, messy, beautiful diversity that is Mother Earth. This Pride, we celebrate the transformational power of finding our runway in the outdoors together.”
“We roar. We heal. We become,” the site adds. “Mother Nature guides us to where we need to be–and we dress up to honor her.”
