Bed Bath & Beyond Donates $1 Million to NAACP

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. announced on Friday that it has donated $1 million in essential products to the NAACP’s Empowerment Programs.

“Like so many, we are appalled and saddened by the scenes we have witnessed and the continued violence and injustice against members of the Black community,” Bed Bath & Beyond President and CEO Mark Tritton said in a statement released on June 12, continuing:

We make this $1 million donation to the NAACP to support its extraordinary work for the community and its long-standing action to tackle racial discrimination in this country. Together, we will provide essential help to those communities hardest hit by recent unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic.

A commitment to diversity and inclusion is at our core, but we recognize that we can and must do more. As we reflect on recent events, we pledge to continue listening, learning, and improving the way we support diversity and the communities we serve in the future.

The donation is a featured part of Bed Bath & Beyond’s $10 million “Bringing Home Everywhere” campaign, meant to provide “essential home, infant, and healthcare items to help workers on the frontline and in communities affected by COVID-19.” To put the donation into perspective, Bed Bath & Beyond grossed roughly $4.1 billion last year.

NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson offered the organization’s gratitude in response. “We welcome Bed Bath & Beyond’s support for the NAACP and the Black community,” he said:

This $1 million donation of essential products will help communities in need and help bring home comforts to families across the nation who have suffered so much as a result of COVID-19 and recent unrest. We look forward to developing a long-standing relationship with Bed Bath & Beyond as we commit to the shared vision of eradicating racial injustice and discrimination.

Bed Bath & Beyond is following a growing trend of corporate entities looking to purchase positive publicity and consumer goodwill by funneling money toward social justice organizations without any danger of affecting their bottom lines. Companies like Walmart, Apple, Amazon, Disney, and McDonald’s are among the dozens looking to leverage national outcry for better stock prices.