Dove, the popular soap brand, has found itself at the center of controversy after hiring Zyahna Bryant, a prominent Black Lives Matter activist, for a ‘fat liberation’ campaign. Here’s the full story.
Proudly Plus-Sized
Bryant, who proudly identifies as a plus-size influencer, posted on Instagram last week about her role as a Dove ambassador and her involvement in the ‘fat liberation’ campaign.
In her post, she wrote, “‘#DovePartner Fat liberation is something we should all be talking about!’ That’s why I am partnering with Dove, to support the work of @naafaofficial, @flareforjustice in the Campaign for Size Freedom.”
Fat Liberation
She also urged others to share their stories of ‘fat liberation’ using the hashtag #sizefreedom and by tagging @dove.
While Bryant received considerable support from her 27,000 Instagram followers for championing ‘fat liberation,’ her association with the cancellation of Morgan Bettinger triggered widespread condemnation on social media.
The controversy surrounding Bryant dates back to July 2020 when she claimed to have overheard threats made by Morgan Bettinger, a white student, against Black Lives Matter protesters in Charlottesville.
Perhaps “Misheard”
However, Bryant later admitted that she might have “misheard” the alleged threats.
Bettinger subsequently faced a barrage of abuse and a concerted campaign to have her removed from the University of Virginia.
Both staff and students united against her, effectively jeopardizing her future prospects.
Zyahna Bryant, who has gained recognition as a BLM activist, started her advocacy efforts at a young age.
She Ruined Her Life
Her website recounts her first rally at the age of 12, where she organized a demonstration for justice in the Trayvon Martin case.
Carole Thorpe, a resident of Charlottesville, Virginia, expressed her outrage by sharing a photo of three Dove soap bars thrown in the trash.
Thorpe wrote, “After hearing that Dove Beauty chose Zyahna Bryant -who ruined Morgan Bettinger’s life – for their ‘fat acceptance ambassador,’ THIS lifelong large lady & now former Dove customer tossed out the last three bars of Dove product she will EVER buy. I have written to Unilever too.”
Boycotting Dove
Her sentiments were echoed by numerous others on social media platforms, with many pledging to stop purchasing Dove products.
Even Elon Musk weighed in on the Dove-Bryant partnership, and commented “messed up.”
One user wrote, “This woman put another UVA student through hell, and it was all a woke lie. Shame on Dove for hiring her. Worse than Dylan Mulvaney. #BoycottDove.”
“Never Buy Them Again!”
Another user added, “I’m sure the American Heart Association and the fight against diabetes love seeing all their work going down the drain.”
A third user commented, “Add that to my list of banned products. There are so many other soaps to select. Advertisers need to target their demographics better.”
A fourth user wrote, “I’ll have to toss my Dove products and never buy them again!”
Major Backlash
As the backlash against Dove intensifies, many are drawing parallels with a previous corporate misstep involving Bud Light.
The beer brand’s decision to partner with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney to celebrate a year of living as a woman resulted in a furious backlash and a significant decline in sales.
The post “Dove Boycotted After “Fat Liberation” Campaign Features Plus-Sized BLM Activist: Her False Allegations Had Ruined a Life first appeared on The Net Worth Of.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Mehaniq
Source: Daily Mail