LEGO Pledges $4M to Fight Racism, Halts Ads for Police and White House Themed Toys

“#LEGO Pledges $4M to Fight Racism, Halts Ads for Police and White House Themed Toys”

LEGO has joined many other organizations in their outspoken support of the Black Lives Matter movement, with the company having recently announced that they will be pulling advertising for White House and police-related LEGO sets.

The beloved toy company has expressed their solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement via social media, as well as pledging to donate $4 million to foundations that support the education of black youths and educate all children about racial equality.

“We stand with the black community against racism and inequality. There is much to do. We will donate $4 million to organizations dedicated to supporting black children and educating all children about racial inequality.”

According to reports, the LEGO Group has contacted marketers and requested that they halt all promotions for LEGO building sets involving police-related pieces and mini-figures. The sets that relate to these themes are said to total more than 30. By the company’s own definition, the sets that are to be included in the marketing blackout extends to all “police-related” sets, which extends to police officers, criminals, firefighters, props like handcuffs and emergency vehicles and buildings.

Some of the other sets that have been included are LEGO City Police Station, Police Dog Unit, Patrol Car, Fire Plane, Mobile Command Center, Police Highway Arrest, and even LEGO City Donut Shop. In addition to these, the email is also said to have included the adult builder LEGO Creator version of The White House among the sets for which promotion is to be ceased.

Whilst there was initially some confusion and speculation as to whether these LEGO sets would be halted entirely, with many fans of the building blocks disappointed to hear they might be pulled from shelves, further clarification from a spokesperson for LEGO has stated that only the advertising of these products is being stopped, and not the products themselves. The products still remain available for purchase on the LEGO site.

“We requested that our affiliate partners refrain from posting promotional LEGO content as part of our decision to respect #BlackOutTuesday and pause posting content on our social media channels in response to the tragic events in the US. We regret any misunderstanding and will ensure that we are clearer about our intentions in the future.”

While these actions from LEGO may seem extreme to some, the company clearly wants to take a firm stance on this intense political matter. The donation from LEGO is considerable, with the building block company supporting the Black Lives Matter movement to an extent which many other companies seem afraid to.

Over the last week, protests have erupted across the United States on behalf of racial justice and the Black Lives Matter movement. The wide-spread protesting began following the death of George Floyd, who was killed while in police custody. Floyd died after a white police officer pinned him to the ground and pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, resulting in Floyd being unable to breathe. This is now seen by many to be a turning point for the US, with people from all walks of life calling for an end to racial injustice and police brutality. This comes to us from LEGO Group.