Aurora James Discusses the Honor of the New York City League and the Fearless Fund Ruling: ‘We Live in an Attention Economy’

When Aurora James, the founder of the brand Brother Vellies and Fifteen percent oath and vice chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, when she heard the news of the Fearless Fund ruling, she immediately shared it on social media.

IN Video from TikTok published after the news, the founder elaborated on a federal appeals court ruling that suspended the program, which largely awarded funds to businesses owned by Black women, after it was sued by the American Alliance for Equal Rights, a gaggle led by Edward Blum, conservative activist behind the Supreme Court case that ended affirmative motion in college admissions.

She noted that talking about what is going on on and “mobilizing” people through her platform is very important at a time like this.

Because of this support, together with the impact she has made on behalf of black businesses through the Fifteen Percent Pledge, she was amongst those honored by New York Municipal League at the 58th annual Frederick Douglass Awards on Thursday. This yr’s gala honorary co-chairs are Meagan Good, Tonya Lewis Lee and Bethann Hardison. Others honored alongside James included George Gresham and Renee McClure.

When asked how he felt receiving the honor, James replied, “It’s a little bittersweet, honestly.”

“The last six to eight months have been somewhat challenging as people have tried to undo some of the progress we have made in the equity and inclusion space,” she continued. “But I think this award is really important because it speaks to the work.”

The first Black designer to ever win an award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, James founded Brother Vellies in 2013 with the ambitious goal of creating an exploitation-free brand. The result’s a widely known brand offering one-of-a-kind luxury shoes and accessories made by African craftsmen in which customers can feel good.

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She didn’t stop there. After seeing high-profile brands and corporations committing to Black and Brown people in this country during the race unrest surrounding the death of George Floyd, James founded the Fifteen Percent Pledge Foundation in 2020. Its mission was to get major retailers like Nordstrom, Sephora and Macy’s to dedicate 15% of their shelf space to Black brands. Since its launch, 28 corporations have joined the effort, including Nordstrom, Sephora and Macy’s.

“We’ve all heard the saying that talent is distributed equally, but opportunity and access are not,” James said. “I think the commitment, or rather the initial call to action that I put out on social media four years ago, is simply about giving people some access. And these are people who are brilliant.”

James realizes that there are people like the Blums in the world who may view initiatives like the Fifteen Percent Pledge or the Fearless Fund as someway exclusionary. Many people say things like, “Why can’t this go to the best candidate?” He challenges this fashion of pondering by highlighting how these funds actually help be sure that the best get a platform.

“Previously, so many groups have been historically excluded,” she noted, adding: “Many of these stores would just buy whatever the next Heinz product or the next Estee Lauder product is. It’s easier to just connect with these giant companies that you already sell and have relationships with than to take a chance on a small company.”

However, taking this chance can profit all parties. James noted that her involvement gave brands an opportunity, which made a difference in the lives of founders and their brands. Recently, one of the founders contacted her and said that due to his work, he was capable of buy a house for his family.

James said moving the needle for Black and brown businesses ultimately comes right down to where we focus our attention. Paying attention can appear like the way you vote in the upcoming election, what you spend your money on, and even what you literally concentrate to online and in culture.

“We live in an attention economy. People compete for your attention more than anything else,” she said. “Whatever you focus your attention on will win. The Kardashians win because they capture our attention across multiple platforms. This is difficult. America has many various ways. So if we redirect our attention, we also can redirect much of the power in this country.