In 1921, the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was attacked and destroyed by thousands of white supremacists, including members of various authorities. The neighborhood was home to about 11,000 Black residents and hundreds of thriving Black-owned businesses and organizations. Over two days, hundreds of Black residents were killed, and thousands were injured or displaced. Known as the Tulsa Race Massacre, the destruction of Greenwood remains one of the worst acts of domestic terrorism in U.S. history. More than a century later, justice has yet to be served.
Lush Cosmetics launched the Justice For Greenwood (JFG) campaign in collaboration with Justice For Greenwood and Decolonizing Wealth Project (DWP) to raise awareness about reparations in the U.S. and specifically support advocacy for the survivors and descendants of the 1921 Massacre. It features the voices of scholars, organizers, and artists who have long advanced the reparations movement. Through storytelling and educational resources, the campaign highlights the lasting impact of slavery, segregation, and racial violence and makes a powerful case for reparations as a path forward for society.
The campaign expands the conversation to include truth-telling, community investment, institutional reform, and cultural recognition. It challenges the public to confront the roots of inequality and consider what true repair requires.
Through this effort, Lush leveraged its platform to elevate expert voices, deepen understanding, and inspire collective action. The campaign invites people to join a broader movement rooted in equity, healing, and long overdue justice.
The JFG Campaign was created through partnerships, storytelling, and clear calls to action focused on truth, healing, and justice. The project started when Lush encountered the reparations conversation through the Decolonizing Wealth Project (DWP) and its “Realizing Reparations” series with Yes! Magazine. This helped Lush explore how to effectively support the reparations movement.
In 2023, at the Alight, Align, Arise (A3) conference produced by DWP, Lush met Damario Solomon-Simmons, founder and executive director of Justice For Greenwood, a grantee partner of DWP’s #Case4Reparations Fund. His work advocating for survivors and descendants of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre inspired Lush to deepen its commitment to the movement, leading to close collaboration with Justice For Greenwood and the creation of a multimedia campaign to raise public awareness.
Lush and Justice For Greenwood co-created the documentary Greenwood Is Still Burning. Released on the 103rd anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, it featured stories from survivors, descendants, and community leaders. The film premiered in Tulsa and was shared on Lush’s YouTube channel and the Waterbear platform.
Alongside the film, Lush launched the limited-edition Brighter Day Soap, created specifically for this campaign. The soap aimed to raise $185,000, with 100% of the purchase price, minus the taxes, going to organizations working to build a future free of injustice and inequality. The soap was sold in all 205 Lush stores across the U.S. and online, turning customer purchases into direct support for reparations.
The campaign included an education and advocacy component that included online essays from movement leaders and story vignettes that highlight the Massacre survivors.
In 205 stores across the United States, customers encountered displays and resources that explained the history and ongoing impact of racial violence. Lush team members received in-depth training to support customer engagement and had access to mental health resources and peer support networks throughout the campaign.
Customers experienced immersive in-store advocacy. A number of DWP #Case4Reparations grantee partners were invited to set up a table in-store to share more about their organizations, delivering a unique direct-to-consumer education on reparations. Throughout the campaign, customers could engage with in-store campaign assets, scan QR codes to learn more, and were invited to complete postcards requesting the U.S. Department of Justice to open a federal investigation into the Tulsa Race Massacre. This raised awareness and mobilized customers and staff to engage in the movement.
By combining advocacy, education, fundraising, and art, the Justice For Greenwood Campaign was a first-of-its-kind nationwide activation that resulted in public dialogue and collective action.
The campaign met its objectives by significantly raising awareness about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, educating the public on reparations, and mobilizing support for impacted communities.
Narrative research, media outreach, and in-person experiences from Decolonizing Wealth Project, along with documentary co-creation with Justice For Greenwood, gave the campaign unique depth. Educational assets from leaders in the reparations movement further strengthened its impact. The primary goal was to shed light on and demand reparations for the largely overlooked 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Through the launch of the Brighter Day soap and the documentary Greenwood Is Still Burning, the campaign honored survivors’ stories and highlighted the ongoing impact of this historical injustice.
Although advocacy for reparations has spanned decades, this campaign brought the conversation to malls nationwide. In June 2025, Tulsa, OK, announced a $105 million "Road to Repair" reparations package for descendants of massacre victims. While we cannot take full credit, the campaign’s presence in 205 stores and the participation of 6,000 customers completing advocacy postcards significantly amplified ongoing efforts.
The campaign converted awareness into action by donating 100% of the Brighter Day Soap’s purchase price (minus the tax) to Lush’s Repair Fund, to support organizations building a future free of injustice and inequality. Additionally, the 6,000 postcards were delivered to the U.S. Attorney General’s office, calling for a federal investigation into the massacre.
The JFG Campaign merged media, education, and advocacy to drive discourse and expand the call for racial repair and justice.
