Our commitment to supporting the API+ Community starts by listening

By Depop
1 May 2021

Depop was not created to be a fashion marketplace – it was created to be a community. Community at Depop has always meant realising our existence through the uniting thread of people. Peer-to-peer isn’t a business model, it’s the way we can create true and lasting change. People supporting people. Communities speaking up for each other. Institutions celebrating all of us, not just some of us.

Our mission is to build the world’s most diverse progression home of fashion. We believe that anyone from anywhere can be part of our new fashion system. We’ve set an intention to reduce inequalities and promote a more inclusive industry – and in order for this to be true, we must reflect the change we want to see in the world. This is done by genuinely supporting and consistently showing up for all the communities that make up Depop, now and always – especially for those who need it.

But how we do this is important. We want to work with these communities to co-create a plan of action that’s for the community and by the community – that’s community-first. And by starting our journey with listening and facilitating dialogue, we’ll understand and learn where we need to be. It’s what we’ve done with the Black community on Depop for the past year, and what we will do with all underrepresented communities on Depop as our journey continues.

May is API+ Heritage Month. The Asian Pacific Islander (API) and East and South East Asian (ESEA) communities are a meaningful part of the Depop community. We stand in solidarity with them and against the ongoing, yet unfortunate recent increase of, violence, hatred, discrimination and injustice faced by this community – Stop Asian Hate.

We thrive because the API+ community is part of the patchwork of cultures that are integral to Depop’s success. We’ve already launched several safe space conversations for our internal community at Depop in the past two months and are currently implementing a plan of action to make sure employees feel more included and supported by Depop. Now it's time for us to pass the mic to our external community to listen, learn and build a path forward, together.

In honor of API+ Heritage month, we’ll partner with influential voices within the API+ youth community to shine a light on today’s lived experience of the Asian community. We want to give a platform to the young API+ creatives who are demanding and creating change through creativity, culture and fashion. Because in doing so, they are creating a better future – one that’s inclusive and for all. We want to unlock through conversation and dialogue where the gaps are in the system, and where action is needed. Together, as a community, we’ll create the future we want to see and unite as a positive force for everlasting change.