The North Face company is offering customers a 20% discount if they complete an equity course that teaches how White people never experience racism, and how the "outdoors" is oppressive against Black people.
In order to get the 20% discount, attendees also need to agree to engage in allyship/activism.
The North Face, whose parent company is VF Corporation, launched a racial equity course that states how White people never experience hardship due to the color of their skin and that Black people are barred from outdoor activities because of systemic racism and oppression.
"The North Face has always believed the outdoors should be a welcoming, equitable and safe place for all. This course aims to bring light to the barriers to entry preventing all people from sharing equally rewarding experiences in the outdoors," a spokesperson for VF Corp said.
The course says that people of color are barred from sports because they lack "White privilege."
When asked about the portion on "White privilege," the spokesperson said there was "no further comment."
The course includes a series of privilege statements, such as "I can be confident people in the outdoors will be respectful and kind to me" and "I can be sure that when I'm in the outdoors there will be other people like me there."
"The aim is to create a more equitable outdoors for everyone. Every person has a basic right to human dignity, respect and equal access to resource. But not everyone is starting from the same place. Equity acknowledges that everyone comes from different circumstances and allocates resources and opportunities accordingly, so that everyone can reach and equal outcome," the North Face course stated.
In order to get the 20% discount, attendees also need to agree to engage in allyship/activism.
The North Face, whose parent company is VF Corporation, launched a racial equity course that states how White people never experience hardship due to the color of their skin and that Black people are barred from outdoor activities because of systemic racism and oppression.
"The North Face has always believed the outdoors should be a welcoming, equitable and safe place for all. This course aims to bring light to the barriers to entry preventing all people from sharing equally rewarding experiences in the outdoors," a spokesperson for VF Corp said.
The course says that people of color are barred from sports because they lack "White privilege."
When asked about the portion on "White privilege," the spokesperson said there was "no further comment."
The course includes a series of privilege statements, such as "I can be confident people in the outdoors will be respectful and kind to me" and "I can be sure that when I'm in the outdoors there will be other people like me there."
"The aim is to create a more equitable outdoors for everyone. Every person has a basic right to human dignity, respect and equal access to resource. But not everyone is starting from the same place. Equity acknowledges that everyone comes from different circumstances and allocates resources and opportunities accordingly, so that everyone can reach and equal outcome," the North Face course stated.
