American Airlines has just joined Starbucks and Delta Air Lines, among other big companies, in allowing its employees to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement through their clothes. The airline announced that it is currently working with Black employees to design a Black Lives Matter pin that could be donned on their uniforms.
"Fundamentally, we believe Black Lives Matter is an expression of equality, not a political statement," said company spokeswoman Sarah Jantz in an official statement earlier this week. "It doesn't mean other lives don't matter, rather that in our society Black lives should matter and be valued the same as others."
The decision was taken after employees noticed workers at other airlines wearing Black Lives Matter pins.
The company allows its staff to wear other pins as well, including ones supporting LGBTQ+ people, veterans and Christians, products designed alongside the company's Employee Business Resource Groups—which is working on the latest iteration of the product. Until an official pin is produced, American Airlines will allow its employees to wear their own while at work.
The announcement was met on social media with a mixture of praise and apprehension, with some folks supportive of the company's decision and others concerned it will lead to unwarranted violence and in-flight disruption.
As mentioned above, the move follows other companies' decision to join in on the culture-defining conversation by giving a voice to their employees and allowing them to effectively advertise their standing and show support to specific causes through their uniforms.
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