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essence magazine hires white fashion director. reverse affirmative action - or madness?
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as long as she is able to capture and reflect the black women's sense of style and culture - i dont see her race as an issue. |
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52%
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52
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in theory - i agree with the first choice. but it still makes me a little upset. |
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32%
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32
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oh h*ll no!! i will be cancelling my subscription. this goes way deeper than just her 'qualifications'! |
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16%
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16
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100 total votes
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current comments on this week's topic:
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5 Comments
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#1 c-los:
On August 16, 2010 at 11:00 am
I went with the second choice because it does make me upset but I won't cancel my subscription. I truely believe, nobody, I mean nobody black, white, or any other group of people can really capture the true essence of a people unless they are actually that race.
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#2 april:
On August 17, 2010 at 2:46 pm
I guess if that is the best you can do, but I would prefer hearing from a sister, also because jobs are harder to come by for us. They're always trying to take something from us.
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#3 sherlina:
On August 17, 2010 at 7:31 pm
I really don't think it's right, white people always trying to be with us, first it's our black men, now jobs, black women are left out on good jobs. She doesn't know what it is to be black or think black and doesn't know anything about black women.
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#4 Nailah:
On August 30, 2010 at 2:45 pm
Whatever!!! Why is it when "we" try to maintain our Afrikan cultural, historical and, even spiritual identities we have to let any and every other ethnic group in? No other ethnic group in the world has had to and continues to compromise and relinquish our cultural heritage, traditions and identity but the Afrikan (that means Black People whether you're of continental or Diaspora origins).
This is a little known fact that in Chicago's Chinatown there is no non-Chinese/Asian owned or operated business. Why, because as quiet as it's kept, the Chinese mafia won't let any non-Chinese/Asian person or business in. Nor will you find non-Asian's in the kitchens of restaurants. And, I'm absolutely fine with that as are other ethnic communities in Chicago because Black folks have significant resources that are our "own" as do the Italians, Greeks, Polish, Irish...
What does that have to do with the Essence magazine issue? Everything. Black/Afrikan people, businesses organizations and communities are the only ethnic group in the country (especially) because we still believe that if we built, sustain and maintain our own communities, cultures, histories, belief systems, businesses and heritage (just like other ethnic groups do) we're somehow racist. If that isn't the biggest load of slave-minded assimilated thinking I don't know what is?
If Essence wants to finish selling out, let it, just let the publisher come out and say so up front. It's all about money anyway. The publishers of Essence know that if they hand over the magazine to a white fashion director they know they'll be that much closer to all the other major positions being handed over to more white/non-Afrikan staff till it's eventually another BET.
I stopped subscribing to Essence along time ago when they started having more non-Afrikan/Black models in ads and contributing writers. We [still] can't have **it!
Oh, and for those who don't over-stand the entomology of the phrase "reverse racism" it means to do away with racism not anything else. Just as "reverse affirmative action" means to stop affirmative action nothing else. As Whoopi said in the movie "The Executive" when her co-star (a white woman) said, "Affirmative action never helped me. " Whoopi's response was "It wasn't meant to..." Affirmative action wasn't/isn't meant to help white people.
They already [still] benefit from their white privilege. If this white woman wants to be a fashion director of a magazine, let her go start her own and see if she’s genuinely concerned about and address the racial discrimination rapid in the industry.
I'm sure Elle, Marie Claire, Vogue, W... all has had or will have openings — let her go apply with them! By the way, not one of the mags mentioned have Black fashion directors or Black folks in key editorial positions. Other than the occasional token model or industry event photo-op that happens to catch a Black person, all of these major fashion publications (and others) rarely if ever features Black models, designers, stylist or articles on Black fashion industry icons or our perspectives. We're not holding their Jimmy Cho covered feet to the fire with such verve or uproar nor are we creating polls about how racist and discriminatory they are as we have about Essence’s latest WTF! issue.
Not that we shouldn’t be concerned if not pissed off but if we’re going to be upset and raise hell let’s do it consistently across the board.
Does Ebony-Jet magazine have (or "let in") a white fashion director? Do Latina, Moda Lité and other major Latin magazines have any Black staff in key editorial positions? Unless and until “we” stop always compromising our cultural integrity and heritage with everything we have/do/create that’s specifically for, by and about preservation of Black people and culture (the definition and model of true Black/Afrikan nationalism) then we’ll always be the only ethnic group in the world that is ethnically pimped. Every other ethnic group but US holds true to theirs but US… Has no one noticed that of the [current] fashion industry’s favorite [white] children (and their shows): Rachel Zoe (The Rachel Zoe Project), Kelly Cutrone (Kell On Earth), Project Runway… have Black staff or features Black designers or design experts.
The one partial exception is the Isaac Mizrahi Bravo TV The Fashion Show, which his co-host is Black super model Kelly Rowland. America’s Next Top Model doesn’t count either because it’s the token exception.
Again, the point is: Do Black folks raise as much hell about these stylist, designers, publications, websites and shows that don’t/won’t employee or feature key Black fashion industry experts? That’s why we need more than one US produced, quality major Black/Afrikan-centered fashion publication.
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#5 Sheba:
On August 31, 2010 at 7:26 pm
I'm actually curious as to just exactly how we're gonna be 'captured..' What exactly defines black woman? Tread carefully:::
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