CELEBRATE HISTORY
CREATE AWARENESS FEBRUARY 2021
This month, we’re introducing new features to support the broader integration of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) into how we do business and interact with our retailers, shoppers, and communities we serve.
As you read through the pages highlighting Black History Month and Lunar New Year, you’ll notice we have included Retail Spotlights and what retailers are doing to support Black-owned businesses and appeal to customers who celebrate Lunar New Year. Kate Birchler shares her family story and the joys of developing a successful tourism marketing campaign that intertwines a culture dear to her heart. Kayla Waldron provides a glimpse of how she brings the most celebrated holiday in China to life at Washington Square. Lastly, we’ll share a fun calendar of events and other holidays like Ash Wednesday to keep your virtual social calendar up to speed! We have some exciting programs scheduled for this month to honor Black stories, including those from our colleagues.
LOOKING AHEAD AT MARCH • March is Women’s History Month! • Women’s Empowerment Postcards – Show gratitude for the phenomenal women you work with! Stay tuned for details. • March 8 - DREAM SPOTLIGHT: Women’s Leadership Panel • March 31 - DREAM SPOTLIGHT: Breast Cancer Awareness with Erin Scanlon & Dr. Kristi Funk
As always, the DREAM Team welcomes your feedback on how we can better serve YOU! We are actively building out our 2021 calendar full of programs to blend the diversity of our employees’ cultures, thoughts, ideas, and experiences. Please connect with us to share your ideas, topics of interest, and even needed resources that are important to you. We are fueled by employee stories and hope you’ll share yours. Please email DREAMTeam@macerich.com to connect with us. Happy February! DREAM
BLACK HISTORY MONTH B l a ck H is to r y M o nth is a n a n n u a l celebration of achievements by Black Americans and a time for recognizing their central roles in U.S. history. Also known as African American History Month, the event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries worldwide, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history. ORIGINS OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH The story of Black History Month begins in 1915, half a century after the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States. Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson and the prominent minister Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. Known today as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), the
organization is dedicated to researching and promoting achievements by Black Americans and other peoples of African descent. In 1926, ASALH sponsored a national Negro History Week, choosing the second week of February to coincide with Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass’s birthdays. The event inspired schools and communities nationwide to organize local celebrations, establish history clubs, and host performances and lectures. By the late 1960s, thanks in part to t h e c i v i l r i g h t s m ove m e n t a n d a growing awareness of Black identity, Negro History Week had evolved into Black History Month on many college c a m p u s e s . P re si d e nt G e r a l d Fo rd officially recognized Black History Month in 1976, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” To learn more, visit asalh.org.
RETAIL SPOTLIGHT
15 PERCENT PLEDGE The 15 Percent Pledge urges major retailers to commit 15% of their shelfspace to Black-owned businesses. With the goal of advocating for and supporting Black-owned businesses, the 15 Percent Pledge seeks economic equality and prosperity for Black future founders, Black students, and Black people in the workforce. Launched in 2020 by Aurora James, the initiative was born from seeing multiple acts of injustice and police brutality in the United States with a lack of accountability for the systemic issues at play. Over 13% of people living in the United States identify as Black, and another estimated 2% identify as mixed race, totaling 15%. MACERICH RETAILERS WHO HAVE TAKEN THE PLEDGE:
Sephora made a historic commitment to the 15% pledge because although they work with roughly 290 brands in their 400+ stores, they sold nine (9) blackowned brands, including Fenty Beauty
and Pat McGrath Labs. In addition to putting more black-owned brands in stores, Sephora will create an advisory group with James and other black beauty leaders, diversifying the supply chain and build a system that creates a better platform for Black-owned brands to grow while ensuring Black voices help shape the industry.
West Elm is the first retailer in the home-goods category and committing to the #15PercentPledge through brand collaborations, West Elm LOCAL shelf space, and hiring practices. In addition to their 15% benchmark commitment, the brand will be making a multi-year donation pledge to the Foundation.
In addition to stocking their shelves, RTR has committed to doing the work internally and has also ensured that a minimum of 15% of their freelance creative talent will be Black from here on out. This includes stylists, photographers, models, influencers, etc.
As the largest company to commit to the Pledge to date, Macy’s, Bloomingdales, and Blue Mercury will work toward a goal of allocating 15% of its purchasing power across all product categories to Black-owned businesses and investing in Black designers and brands
Madewell will take the pledge through achieving at least 15% representation across the brands they work with by late 2021. They will: prioritize Black, Indigenous, and other businesses owners of color in their brand prospecting and outreach; increase share of Black makers in their Hometown Heroes Program and Black-owned businesses in their Labels We Love Program; and work with more Black designers and artists for their design collaborations. Madewell will also conduct a quarterly report to be shared with all stakeholders to compare progress and ensure they are on track to meet their goals.
CONSUMER COMMITMENT • Step 1: Take Inventory (of your own spending power) How many Black-owned companies are currently represented in your monthly spending? • Step 2: Buy Black (at least 15% of your monthly spending) When committing to increasing representation and diversifying your own spending power, applying a measurable metric is critical to accountability. • Step 3: Donate if you can ($15 a month goes a long way) Your support will help dramatically change the trajectories for Black businesses across the country and to funnel billions back into the Black community.
PODCAST Major Retailers Pledge 15% Of Shelf Space To Black-Owned Brands (7 minute listen)
How can you support the 15 Percent Pledge, whether at work or at home? Share your ideas with us!
TO LEARN MORE Visit 15percentpledge.org Follow them on Instagram at @15percentpledge
THE BLACK FAMILY:
REPRESENTATION, IDENTITY, AND DIVERSITY The Black family has been a topic of study in many disciplines—history, literature, the visual arts and film studies, sociology, anthropology, and social policy. Its representation, identity, and diversity have been reverenced, stereotyped, and vilified from the days of slavery. The Black family knows no single location since family reunions, and geneticancestry searches testify to the spread of family members across states, nations, and continents. This complex disbursement of origins has greatly complicated the description and foundations of African American life and history. Numerous debates exist over how to represent its meaning from a historical perspective —as slave or free, as patriarchal or matriarchal, as single-headed or dual-headed household, as extended or nuclear, as fictive kin or blood lineage, as Black or interracial, etc. A variation appears in discussions on the nature and impact of parenting, childhood, marriage, gender norms, sexuality, and incarceration. The Black family offers a rich tapestry of images for exploring the African American past and present.
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
“WHAT DOES BEING BLACK MEAN TO YOU?” “To me, being Black means thriving when I’m expected to fail, persevering when I’m expected to quit, striving for excellence in everything that I do, and not letting anyone dictate my story or my limits.” - Kelly Meyers, Information Technology “Being Black, to me, is the duality of being vulnerable, yet strong. It’s walking with a sense of purpose. It’s standing in boldness although you may feel broken. It’s possessing a heightened sense of self awareness despite the stereotypes that may exist in those around you. It’s having a voice and making sure that voice is heard and respected above the bias. It’s being resilient, having perseverance
and possessing the inner strength to face and overcome obstacles, no matter how big or small.” - Dawn Simon, Property Marketing “Being Black means complexity and richness, and constant admiration for my ancestors—therefore, I live with integrity, persevering to be the best me I can be, everyday.” - Aaron White, Lease Administration “ Being Black to me means to love myself, my skin tone, and my history un a p olog etic ally a n d to b e pro u d knowing that I’m making my ancestors happy.” - Jerome Caldwell, Information Technology
Hear directly from Kelly, Dawn, Aaron, and Jerome on February 24 as they discuss what The Black Family means to them.
DREAM SPOTLIGHT OUTLOOK INVITE AVAILABLE HERE
MAKING
BLACK HIST Black DREAM Team founding members share icons who make history and who have made an impact on their lives today. AVA DUVERNAY “Ava DuVernay is a force within the entertainment industry working tirelessly to normalize the depiction of Black faces, stories, and experiences in film and television. She is not just someone who “made it” – she is also someone who is making sure that she “isn’t the last one to make it” by uplifting others. Ava has forged her own path to knock down barriers, open doors, and claim her seat at the table while not compromising on her vision for showing the world what it means and looks like to be Black in America.” - Kelly Meyers BARACK OBAMA “Former President Obama inspired so many people by his actions, leadership, and love for his family. He also shared so many memorable quotes during his presidency. One favorite that come to mind is: ‘Now, as a nation, we don’t promise equal outcomes, but we were founded on the idea everybody should have an equal opportunity to succeed. No matter who you are, what you look like, where you come from, you can make it. That’s an essential promise of America. Where you start should not determine where you end up.’” - Jerome Caldwell
TORY JAMES BALDWIN “James Baldwin was an inspiration and a voice to many people, more so in the black and LGBTQ communities. As an activist and member of the Civil Rights Movement, Mr. Baldwin marched along with Dr. King and many others for Civil Rights and equal opportunity for all. Today, Baldwin’s legacy lives on through his literature and famous quotes. One of which I believe is relevant today: ‘It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.’” - David Fox STACEY ABRAMS “Stacey Abrams is THE face to dismantling voter suppression and making sure every once oppressed voice, is heard. She is incredibly critical to amplifying future black voices, showing us there’s so much strength in community and being resilient even through the hardest of trials.” - Radiance Basden JOHN LEWIS “John Lewis was proof that doing the right thing was not always the easiest route and personal sacrifice for the greater good is sometimes necessary.” - Samantha Greening
LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS FEBRUARY 12–26, 2021 | YEAR OF THE OX
Lunar New Year has more than 4,000 years of history and is the longest holiday of the year. This year, Lunar New Year begins on February 12 and ends February 26 with the Lantern Festival. Lunar New Year is one of the most important holidays in China. It is also celebrated worldwide in regions and countries with significant Chinese populations. Popular decorations include paper cutting, door gods, fortune, Spring Festival couplets, lanterns and kumquats. Lunar New Year cuisine includes popular dishes such as spring rolls, dumplings, noodles and steamed fish and chicken. Something we all relate to at Macerich, the Lunar New Year brings about new clothes. It signifies a time of change and new beginnings. Dating back to the Northern and Southern Dynasties, everyone would show off their new clothing as they visited friends and family on New Year’s Day.
2019 LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION AT WASHINGTON SQUARE
RED ENVELOPES Red pocket, red packet, red envelope... what is this magical red thing? These red envelopes, 红包 (hóng bāo), contain money also known as 压岁钱 (yā suì qián). Literally, it is “money to anchor the year(s).” By giving the money to children, elders are hoping to pass on a year of good fortune and blessings. Another version is given by the younger generation to their elders as a blessing of longevity and a show of gratitude.
When you’re ready to ask for your envelope, say: 恭喜发财，红包拿来 (gong xǐ fā cái, hóng bāo ná lái) It means “wishing you wealth and prosperity, hand over the red envelope.” Said with a cheeky grin, it melts hearts and opens up wallets.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE OX The Ox is the second of all zodiac animals. According to myth, the Jade Emperor decreed the order of the zodiac would be decided by the order in which the animals arrived to his party. The Ox was about to be the first to arrive, but Rat tricked Ox into giving him a ride. Then, just as they arrived, Rat jumped down and landed ahead of Ox. Thus, Ox became the second animal.
In Chinese culture, the Ox is a valued animal. Because of its role in agriculture, positive characteristics, such as being hardworking and honest, are attributed to it. According to the Chinese Zodiac, oxen are the hard workers in the background, intelligent and reliable, but never demanding praise.
RETAIL SPOTLIGHT
LIMITED EDITION LUNAR NEW YEAR PRODUCTS FROM OUR RETAILERS! • Burberry CNY Capsule Collection • Nike Air Jordan 1 Low CNY • Dr Martens CNY 1461 • Starbucks Year of the Ox-Themed Collection • Coach Lunar New Year Ox Bag Charm • Lululemon – Celebratory Print for Lunar New Year
CREATING A NEW FAMILY TRADITION
KATE BIRCHLER’S STORY Our family of four has been built by adoption – an arduous and lengthy process that melts away after the amazing result of welcoming a child into your forever home and heart. It’s surreal to be in the office in the midst of meetings and receive an email from the adoption agency with a photo of a sweet 16-month-old and realize you’re about to meet your new daughter after a two-year pursuit to adopt from China. Our family of three became a family of four in April 2018 as we spent two weeks in China officially adopting our daughter Ruby and bringing home our newest American citizen. We honor and embrace Ruby’s culture by celebrating the Lunar New Year with authentic decorations brought home from China, including her favorite pink dragon, red envelopes filled with chocolate gold coins, and we host a dumplings dinner party from our favorite Chinese restaurant among family and friends. Leading Macerich’s tourism marketing, we’ve developed an annual Lunar New Year celebration within many of our top tourism centers across the US to encourage our locals and visitors to celebrate with us and our retailers. We usually attend Scottsdale Fashion Square’s annual Lunar New Year event, which features authentic Chinese dances, performances and activities, but with the pandemic this year it will be much more subdued and focused on well wishes for the Year of the Ox. And because Ox means strength, we think this is the perfect word to go forth into this year. If you’re interested in adoption, please feel comfortable reaching out to me. This is such a long journey and we spent so much time talking to others as we pursued our path – we believe it’s our responsibility to pay that forward to others interested in their own pursuit. - Kate Birchler AVP, Tourism Marketing
PROPERTY SPOTLIGHT
WASHINGTON SQUARE Washington Square’s annual event celebrating Lunar New Year began in 2016 as a tourism and business development opportunity. Since then, it has grown into an embraced community event that strengthens tourism partnerships and supports our shoppers in this key Portland demographic. “In honor of the Lunar New Year, we celebrate with cultural performances, entertainment, décor, arts and crafts, and the traditional Wishing Tree. The event is driven by the growing Asian
demographic in suburbs of Portland, due to large corporations like Nike and Intel; ultimately attracting Din Tai Fung, 85C Bakery Café and more to the property. As we keep everyone’s health top of mind, we are honoring the tradition this year with virtual videos for the mall’s Facebook page, allowing families to enjoy from the comfort of their homes, a digital Wishing Tree, Red Envelope eblast, center displays, and a selfie station.” - Kayla Waldron, Senior Marketing Manager, Washington Square
FEBRUARY MONDAY
TUESDAY
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National Freedom Day
DREAM Speak w/Michael D. McCarty
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WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
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DREAM Cuisine: Taste of Italy
DREAM Reads: Touch Base on “American Dirt”
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Susan B. Anthony Day
Fat Tuesday
Ash Wednesday
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World Day of Social Justice
First Day of Lent
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Visit the DREAM Hub page to access the event Outlook invites
DREAM REELS RECOMMENDATIONS: Celebrate Black History Month with movies from Black filmmakers and about Black stories With Drawn Arms Hulu, STARZ I Am Not Your Negro Hulu, Netflix John Lewis: Good Trouble
HBO Max, Prime Video
One Night in Miami Prime Video Family Movie Night: Hidden Figures
Disney+
ASH WEDNESDAY A s h We d n e s d ay i s th e d ay m a ny Christians mark as the first day of the Lenten season, a 6-week period of reflection and repentance leading up to Easter Sunday, a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is commonly observed with ashes and fasting. The Meaning Behind the Dust: Clergy all over the world dispense ashes, usually made by burning the palm f ronds distributed the previous year’s Palm Sunday in the shape of a cross on the forehead of each worshipper reminding each Christian of Genesis 3:19: “From dust you are and to dust you shall return.” The ritual is a reminder to worshippers that their lives are short and must be lived to the fullest. The celebration of Mardi Gras or “Fat Tuesday”, the night before Ash Wednesday, is a secular observance that evolved out of “Shrove Tuesday”--the last hurrah –usually marked by eating pancakes and other sinfully sweet foods –before the solemnity and penance of Lent set it. Who observes Ash Wednesday? Today, most “liturgical churches” (those with a regular, calendar-based liturgy or set of rituals and observances) mark the day, including Roman Catholics, Lutheran,
Methodist, Episcopalians, Presbyterians and other Protestants. Amid a global pandemic, do I have to go to church to get my ashes? Many churches, ministries, and clergy of fer “A shes to G o”--an impor tant consideration in this day of COVID-19. Their aim is to target people who may not feel connected to any one church or don’t have time to stop in during their workday to get ashes. Contact your local place of religious observance for more information. Why do I often hear people say, “I gave that up for Lent”? During Lent, many Christians commit to fasting as well as giving up certain luxuries as a sign of sacrifice and to test their self-discipline. Christians believe Lent represents Jesus Christ’s 40 days of sacrifice before later dying on the cross. Three traditional practices typically taken up with renewed vigor during Lent are prayer (justice towards God), fasting (justice towards self), and almsgiving (justice towards neighbors.) In modern times, observers typically give us partaking in vices such as certain foods, caffeine, alcohol, social media, etc. They often invest time or money saved in charitable purposes.
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR DREAM WRITERS AND FEBRUARY CONTRIBUTORS Aaron White Dawn Simon Jerome Caldwell Kelly Meyers Pat Burkhardt Rachel Olish