• Celebrity
    • Of The Essence
    • Celebrity News
    • If Not For My Girls
    • The State Of R&B
    • Time Of Essence
  • Fashion
    • 2023 Best In Black Fashion Awards
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • Red Carpet
    • Fashion News
    • Accessories
  • Beauty
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
    • 2023 Best In Black Beauty
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Hair
  • Lifestyle
    • Love
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
    • Bridal Bliss
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
  • Entrepreneurship
    • Money & Career
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Shopping
  • Video
  • Events
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
  • Studios
  • Girls United

WHERE BLACK CULTURE, COMMUNITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS MEET

Sign up for ESSENCE Newsletters the keep the Black women at the forefront of conversation.

Your email is required.
Your email is in invalid format.
Confirm email is required.
Email did not match.
Select the newsletters you'd like to receive:
Please select at least one option.
By clicking Subscribe Now, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Skip to content
SUBSCRIBE
  • MAGAZINE
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Celebrity
    • Of The Essence
    • Celebrity News
    • If Not For My Girls
    • The State Of R&B
    • Time Of Essence
  • Fashion
    • 2023 Best In Black Fashion Awards
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • Red Carpet
    • Fashion News
    • Accessories
  • Beauty
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
    • 2023 Best In Black Beauty
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Hair
      • Hair News
      • Natural
      • Relaxed
      • Transitioning
      • Weave
      • 4C
  • Lifestyle
    • Love
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
    • Bridal Bliss
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
  • Entrepreneurship
    • Money & Career
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Shopping
  • Video
  • Events
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Honey Pot Founder Beatrice Dixon Responds To Racist Backlash From  Target Commercial
By Jasmine Grant · Updated December 6, 2020
Home · News

Exclusive: Honey Pot Founder Beatrice Dixon Responds To Racist Backlash From Target Commercial

By Jasmine Grant·Updated December 6, 2020
"I'm here for that story and that's why I said it."
Honey Pot Founder Beatrice Dixon Responds To Racist Backlash From  Target Commercial

This week, Beatrice Dixon, founder of the wildly popular plant-based feminine care line Honey Pot, found herself in the middle of unexpected controversy as an online army of white women flooded the brand’s Trust Pilot page with negative reviews.

The reason? This was all in response to a 15-second Black History Month Target advertisement starring Dixon, in which she proudly states her plans to pave the way for future Black female entrepreneurs.

“The reason why it’s so important for Honey Pot to do well is so the next Black girl that comes up with a great idea, she can have a better opportunity,” Dixon is heard saying in the commercial, which was filmed as part of Target’s “Founders We Believe In” series.

Article continues after video.

“Why specify Black?” one white reviewer question on Trust Pilot, while another writes “I would have considered buying from this company if it hadn’t been for the racist commercial.”

Just before she joins ESSENCE for our first-ever ESSENCE Wellness House in Atlanta on March 7, we spoke exclusively with Dixon about accusations that she might be racist for specifying Black women in the ad. She says her products are for all women, as they’ve been marketed. However, as an entrepreneur, she saw a specific reason why Black women deserved a special call-out.

“I wasn’t necessarily blindsided [by the negative reactions], but I also didn’t have an expectation,” said Dixon, sounding calm and unbothered as always. “This was not Honey Pot’s commercial, it was Target’s commercial. It was shot during Black History Month and for Women’s History Month. They chose that particular clip for a reason. I’m here for that story and that’s why I said it. I know that there’s a huge disparity when you look at the funding of businesses. I’m always going to be a proponent of us doing what we have to do so this isn’t even a conversation. The only thing we as Black women business owners can do is make really successful businesses.”

Article continues after video.

Despite the misinterpretation of the advertisement by those quick to call Dixon racist for wanting little Black girls to succeed, she insists that wasn’t her goal. “That comment wasn’t about us being a Black-owned business and only selling to Black customers. I think we’re human and race shouldn’t even be a conversation, but it is because of the society we live in. We understand the responsibility as a Black-owned business that we have to be successful because if we’re not, we’re not doing anything for the culture to move it forward so that [race] isn’t a topic.”

If you’ve been following the Twitter chain, you’ve certainly seen supporters, Black and white, counteracting the negative reviews and tweets with positive ones. Customers are celebrating Honey Pot far and wide, vowing to buy even more of their products, and flood TrustPilot with five-star reviews. “I have a lot of gratitude for that,” Dixon said humbly.

I love everything about this commercial including the emphasis on helping the next black girl with her great idea-I'm officially a new loyal Honey Pot customer. Well done, @Target and Honey Pot! https://t.co/nO3pLdu6Rk

— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) March 2, 2020

as a white woman let me tell you … honey pot is a superior brand. and if as a white woman their commercial was offensive to you in any way shape of form , pls go find a seat in racist corner and fucking shut up. https://t.co/i9HSNU7yiU

— kenzi raye (@McKenziRaye_) March 2, 2020

Welp…..let me go stock up on Honey Pot products. pic.twitter.com/qOmBMaiFHZ

— Chanel 🌈 ॐ (@AwkwrdButterfly) March 2, 2020

Anyone who had plans of slowing down Honey Pot’s grind better try harder. Dixon says more products are soon to roll out, including a lavender vulva cream, boric acid and herb suppositories, menstrual cups and a panty spray. Even in light of the brand’s undeniable success, Dixon says there’s still an urgent need to fund Black-female owned businesses. According to Project Diane (a biennial demographic study about the state of Black Women Founders), only a paltry .0006 percent of $424.7 billion in total tech venture capital given out since 2009 have gone to Black women, who happen to be the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs.

“Richelieu Dennis and New Voices Fund have increased the number that Project Diane reports on. But even if only 100 Black women have raised over a million dollars in venture capital funding, that’s still a ridiculous number when you look at all the venture capital dollars that are out there,” says Dixon. “If I had a chance to say [that statement] again, I’d still say it again. Until the disparity isn’t a disparity, it has to be talked about. I don’t necessarily expect the people making the [negative] comments to know that.”

COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now