Sanrio, the company behind Hello Kitty and her friends, has taken to social media, showing its support for inclusivity and stating, “Black lives matter. Kindness matter.”
On Instagram, the company wrote:
We stand for friendship, kindness and inclusivity.⠀
Sanrio was built on the foundation of social communication for people to express their heartfelt feelings of respect and love for one another.⠀
We stand united with our colleagues, partners, customers, fan community and all affected by acts of discrimination. ⠀
The common thread running through our Small Gift, Big Smile philosophy is the idea of giving “from the heart” and “of the heart.” This week we will be putting a pause on our social content to give space to listen, learn, and amplify Black voices today and every day.
The following image was also posted, driving home the point:
Sanrio also posted other graphics showing how to be a better friend and ally:
Hello Kitty released her own statement:
There Is Power In Kindness ❤️ A reminder to not only be kind to others but to yourself, too. To our Black community and friends: You are loved, you are joy, you are goals, you are inspiring ✨ Swipe through for beautiful Black artists to support and follow! 🎨: @sabrenakhadija @prettyininkpress @mimimoffie
As Spoon & Tamago points out, the company’s Japanese Twitter account has not issued a similar statement. The Black Lives moment, however, has reached Japan, with an estimated 1,000 people marching in Osaka, Japan this past Sunday.