Ms Kimani went on to describe the branding as “hurtful” and as “an example of how bias is ingrained into society and only helps fuel racism”.
“If a young girl who is already uncomfortable with the colour of her skin [sees it] she will be feeling even more alienated,” she explained.
“To see that ‘tobacco’ is for their skin tone will make them feel unwanted by society.
(Marks & Spencer) (Marks & Spencer)
“Tobacco is referred to in society as bad, unhealthy, and highly likely to kill – ‘smoking kills’.”
A spokesperson for M&S responded with an apology.
“In June we shared our commitments to being a truly inclusive place to shop and work and were honest that we have more to do and more to learn,” they said.
Police clash with people protesting over racism and police brutality
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“As part of this, we are reviewing our ranges, supported by our Bame network, to ensure we have lingerie items that are flattering and suitable for all customers. All of our product colour names have been taken from a design colour palette used across the industry, but we agree with Kusi.
“We are changing the name of the bra colour and are writing to Kusi to confirm that, and let her know that we’re sorry for not moving faster.”
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