Jackie Aina has pulled a candle from her lifestyle brand Forvr Mood after she was criticised for naming the product after a Nigerian protest slogan.
Aina, 35, is a beauty YouTuber and content creator who has dedicated much of her career to advocating for the visibility of Black and ethnic minority people in the cosmetic industry.
She faced criticism this week after unveiling a new range of candles, “The Owambe Collection”.
One of the scented candles in the collection was named “Sòro Sókè”.
The phrase translates to “speak louder” in Yoruba and was a rally cry used during the #EndSARS protests and demonstrations against police brutality in Nigeria in 2020.
Aina, whose father is of Nigerian descent, faced criticism after the launch as many users denounced the name of the candle as “offensive” and “profiting from Nigeria’s struggle”.
Taking to Instagram on Saturday (6 August), Aina apologised for the name and said it had been pulled from marketplaces.
“I understand our decision has severely hurt members of my Nigerian community with the naming of the candle, Sòro Sókè. We missed the mark on this, and it will never happen again.
“Empowerment and respect is the ethos of Forvr and that was unfortunately not properly conveyed in the naming of the candle.
“We accept full responsibility and I recognise the gravity of this error; to that effect, this candle will be pulled from the market and production immediately.
“I apologise for the hurt this has caused and I thank you for holding us accountable.”
The candle is no longer available on the Forvr Mood website. It has also been removed from the website of retail partner, Sephora.
The Independent has contacted Jackie Aina for comment.
