About Lovette Jallow

Lovette Jallow’s Journey: From Overcoming Adversity to Championing Equality

Lovette was born in West Africa, in a beautiful country called Gambia, and was raised among strong female role models who helped lay the foundation for her exceptional courage and willpower. At the age of 11, her family was threatened with violence, and they moved to Sweden.

In her new country, she faced daily bullying because of the colour of her skin. Education became vital for her, nurturing a love for facts, statistics, and knowledge. In high school, she devoured anything that would help her tackle racism and inequality and educate those around her.

Lovette attended university in England, studying property law and working with commercial property. During this time, she was diagnosed with autism and ADHD and this deeper understanding of herself combined with her past and her continuing desire to live in a world filled with more equality.

Black Vogue: Transforming Beauty Standards and Advancing Inclusivity

After returning to Sweden, a startling lack of inclusion for darker skin tones in the beauty industry became apparent. Lovette started the Facebook group, Black Vogue, whose meteoric growth prompted a shift in the beauty industry and 5 years later would become the basis for her book, Black Vogue – Shades of Beauty. Published by Nordstedts, it was the first European book on beauty care and makeup for Black and Brown skin tones. Lovette went on to work directly with top brands in the beauty industry on advisory boards, makeup shade development, and accessible packaging design.

This community building and organizational work led to an opportunity to work with leading culture providers like Swedish Dramaten, Stadsteatern Göteborg, Riksteatern, Svt, Kulturakademin trappan, and Mälmö Opera to provide education on makeup application techniques for darker skin tones and wig application that does not damage Black textured hair.

Her extensive work on inclusivity, in combination with her background in commercial property, led her to fill a need within the corporate world and she began working with corporations and organizations to address diversity, accessibility, and inclusive design for corporate culture and architecture.

At the end of 2020, Lovette released her second book, Främling i Vita Rum (Stranger in White Spaces), published by Bonniers, which explores the challenges faced by marginalized individuals within Swedish society.

Action for Humanity: Expanding Support and Awareness for Refugees and Racial Justice

Lovette Jallow founded Action for Humanity in 2017 to provide aid for refugees in Libya. Demonstrations brought together thousands in cities across Sweden, with more than 10,000 people gathering in Sergels Torg in Stockholm.

Today, the organization continues to raise awareness about racism and provides resources, legal aid, financial support and education to individuals and organizations affected by racism. Their efforts have received numerous awards.

Speaking Out: Amplifying Underrepresented Voices and Challenging Structural Inequality

Lovette is committed to amplifying the voices of underrepresented communities. As a lecturer, she speaks on xenophobia as well as whiteness and white privilege. Whether it’s examining the consequences of being excluded from commercialized beauty standards or sharing her experiences as an Afro-Swedish woman in a society where whiteness is the norm, she then explains how to dismantle the structural problems behind these issues. She teaches how to recognize and confront one’s own biases and adapt more inclusive language and behaviour.

Blending fact-based knowledge and personal experience as a Black woman in Scandinavia driving change, Lovette guides and educates audiences with sharp analyses and a strong, compelling voice as she presents constructive solutions to create a better future for everyone, belonging to everyone.

Over 8 Million Individuals Reached: A Voice for Justice and Equality

Today, Lovette’s influence reaches over 8 million individuals across all her platforms. A strong spokesperson in the fight against structural and everyday racism, she advocates for justice and uses her voice to enlighten and guide others in the importance of treating people equally. For three consecutive years, Expressen Sweden has recognized her influential contributions and work as a changemaker and thought-leader.