Students from The BRIT School at Dr. Martens’ Black History Month event
At Dr. Martens, joy is the ultimate act of resistance. Paired with the national Black History Month theme of ‘Standing Firm in Power and Pride’, Dr. Martens Foundation and Dr. Martens joined forces to honour creativity, heritage and community across October.
From backing Black-led charities with employee raised funds, to showcasing Black creative excellence, our celebrations highlighted how joy, pride and self-expression can strengthen and uplift our communities.
Swapping Boots and Supporting Black-led Changemakers
As we entered October, employees across Dr. Martens’ three biggest EMEA offices raised funds for the Foundation by donating, swapping, and buying pre-loved boots.
We teamed up with Soledarity – Dr. Martens’ employee community dedicated to racial and ethnic equity – to decide how these funds could be used to honour Black History month, meaningfully. With their input, every penny raised by employees went to three of our Black-led partners, to support the vital work they do every day while reflecting the voices of our employees committed to racial equity.
It’s a powerful reminder of how small, collective actions – like swapping an old pair of boots – can have the power to spark lasting impact. Here’s how each of the donations will help make a real difference, in our partners’ own words:
This donation will help us continue building opportunities for young people from underrepresented backgrounds – honouring Stephen’s legacy through action, empowerment, and community.” – Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation
Your support is helping us to preserve the stories and struggles of our elders and to enable our young people to walk out of the door, proud of their heritage and history! Thank you so much” – Black Cultural Archives
In this time of persistent inequality, our mission to level the playing field for young people of colour is more important than ever. Donations like this help us continue our vital work supporting young people to gain the confidence, skills, and networks to succeed.” – Babassa
United in Rhythm: Creativity as Power and Pride
Later in the month, our United in Rhythm event brought Dr. Martens teams together to celebrate creativity as a source of power and pride.
The line-up featured inspiring opening remarks from CEO Ije, thought-provoking panel discussions exploring how creativity can be a tool for empowerment, powerful spoken word poetry from Mstr Samuel, and unforgettable performances from our partner, The BRIT School’s, incredible young talent.
The students’ performances came from Songs of Protest – the BRIT school’s annual concert, supported by the Dr. Martens Foundation, that gives students a platform to use music to express who they are and what they stand for. With renditions of Michael Kinuwake’s ‘Black Man in A White Man’s World’ and Lauryn Hill’s ‘Mystery of Iniquity’, each performance echoed the very essence of this year’s Black History Month theme, standing firm in power and pride.
Thank you to every Dr. Martens employee and partner who helped us champion Black excellence, community and change – this month, and all year round.
