MAC Cosmetics is the gift that keeps on giving. From their annual MAC Viva Glam Ball, which raised $1 billion dollars for their AIDS Fund, to donating 100 percent of their lipstick proceeds to support the LGBTQ+ community, the beauty brand is one of the most charitable in history. And now, in honor of Black History Month, their latest grant is giving back to the Ghetto Film School.
The film school, which is a global non-profit school for developing filmmakers, is the latest recipient of MAC’s $250,000 dollar Viva Glam grant. The school will use the grant to fund the third year of ColorCreative’s Find Your People Program, an initiative powered by Deniese Davis, Talitha Watkins, and none other than Insecure’s Issa Rae. In addition, the cosmetics brand is also providing makeup education, specifically for TV and film, and donating products to makeup artists for film production.
“At a time when many are stepping back from their commitments to equity and inclusion, MAC is stepping forward,” VP of Marketing at MAC Cosmetics North America Rachel Lockett tells ESSENCE exclusively. “That’s because at MAC, our commitment to All Ages, All Races, All Genders is not temporary, conditional, or subject to trends—it is permanent.”
This year, a number of US retailers—including Target, Walmart, and Amazon—exposed just how performative their 2020 DEI commitments were, which reached an all time high during the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests. Instead of following the trend, MAC is doubling down on their support of the Black community, who have been a huge proponent of their success since 1994.
“MAC has a long history of championing diversity and artistic expression, which aligns perfectly with our work at Ghetto Film School,” says Alfonso Morgan-Terrero, writer and executive artistic director at GFS. “Their commitment goes beyond financial support—they are actively investing in the creative pipeline by providing resources that directly impact the filmmakers we serve.”
Apply to ColorCreative’s Find Your People Program here.