Black Lives Matter

We acknowledge that we have not been a strong ally nor spoken up on topics of racial and social justice. The unrelenting violence and racial profiling impacting the Black community is evidence that our society is only at the beginning of change. Going forward, we commit to take action that always supports equity and justice for marginalized communities.

We want to share with you the decisive steps we are taking to support and elevate BIPOC individuals both inside our company and in the broader global community.

This is only the beginning.

Select a category to learn more:

Our People & Culture

The diversity of our associates at our stores and in our corporate office paint two different pictures. Our store associates often reflect the communities in which they are based and are as diverse as the consumers we serve. We cannot say the same for our corporate office. We know we have work to do to improve the diversity in our corporate office and are committed to doing so. At Vans HQ, we commit to double our Black representation by 2025.

US Office Employees

61%

33%

Unknown

5%

Total 99% due to rounding

US Retail Employees

36%

63%

Unknown

1%

We commit to achieve 25% BIPOC representation at the Director level and above by 2025.

US Directors

77%

21%

Unknown

2%

HERE’S HOW WE ARE BUILDING AND SUPPORTING A DIVERSE CULTURE AT VANS:

Expanding our relationships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and organizations that uplift the Black community in the retail industry.

We are committed to not only hiring candidates from the Black community, but also increasing awareness of and access to creative career paths in the retail and creative industry. Through partnerships with The One Club and PENSOLE, we are connecting youth directly with our design leaders and recruiters to motivate, inspire and hire. Additionally, we support organizations and diverse student groups at colleges and universities across the U.S.

Building a clearer and stronger career path for our store associates into our corporate office.

Our internships and corporate positions are open to store associates who aspire to grow into different careers at Vans. We are expanding our store programs to improve the awareness, opportunities and process for being considered for office roles. Our goal is to create a clear path that brings the diversity we see in our stores into our corporate office.

Uplifting our BIPOC Employee-led Resource Group (ERG) as a crucial voice and platform for our multicultural associates and allies, ensuring Vans is diverse and inclusive.

This ERG provides a platform for associates to drive change by engaging in critical discussions around cultural awareness, advocacy, career and leadership development and community engagement. The ERG gives associates a voice so that we continue to foster an environment that supports our people personally and professionally as we collectively walk the anti-racism journey. Creating space for this narrative is paramount, and we believe this will be one of many powerful ways in which associates use their voices.

Empowering our associates with the tools to dismantle systemic racism through learning programs focused on awareness, knowledge, dialogue and training on the path to anti-bias and anti-racism.

We built a development pathway that allows our associates to start from any place along the journey of anti-racism, creating the space to do the personal work of educating themselves on racial equality and anti-racism. Our leaders set the example by sharing weekly reflections company-wide on what they are learning and the resources they have found helpful on their personal journeys.

Our Partners

We are focused on diversifying the people we work with and who represent our brand in the community. We recognize it is important to represent the diversity of our consumers and the talent that exists in the world – from the suppliers that provide paper clips all the way to the creative minds that fuel our collaborations and creative content.

• 50% BIPOC representation on Vans.com and our main global social media channels
• Cast and collaborate with 50% BIPOC artists and ambassadors in global campaigns moving forward
• 30% BIPOC representation by 2022 for global product collaborations
• 35% BIPOC representation among our athletes by 2024

As part of this effort, we will actively invest in initiatives that provide access to action sports and grow participation in BIPOC communities. We will partner with local and global organizations that bring action sports to underrepresented communities.

We have an obligation to serve the local community Vans headquarters calls home by advocating for in own backyard.

• We are strengthening our relationship with the Orange County Heritage Council (OCHC), a local non-profit focused on events and activities that promote positive family and cultural interaction that celebrate Black History.
• We are reaching out to local community leaders and politicians to mandate a safe environment for the BIPOC community to live and thrive in Orange County.
• We have already diverted money from the #StopHateForProfit campaign and our store window displays to invest in the Black community across the US.

Additionally, we will continue to strengthen relationships with organizations such as the NAACP and develop new partnerships focused on racial justice to expand our support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

We don’t make any of these commitments lightly. Whatever the journey to racial justice and equality requires, our people and our company are committed for the long haul. We won’t always get it right, but we will always keep trying.