I+I Botanicals CBD Scrub and Dry Oil Mist If you've been quarantine for what feels like a year, hopefully you know that outside is slo...
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| Photo by Joshua Kissi |
As mentioned in the previous post, part 2 of Black Photographers Exist, is my list of several dope Black photographers. Also with the release of Beyonce's film, Black is King, this is a great time to acknowledge Black creatives that have been working independently and behind the scenes to captures the stories of BIPOC.
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IG: ohyeahitsidy
Name: Idara
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Idara (Idy) 🇳🇬 (@ohyeahitsidy) on
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Name: Zaria Love
IG: @zaria.love_
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Name: Dana Scruggs
IG: @danascruggs
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Dana Scruggs (@danascruggs) on
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Name: Mark Clennon
IG: @mark.c
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Name: Joshua Kissi
IG: @joshuakissi
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Name: Jada Imani M
IG: @jadaimanim
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Jada Imani M (@jadaimanim) on
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Name: Stephen Tayo
@stephen.tayo
View this post on Instagram@lagosfashionweekofficial @onyinyefafiobi @j0rdanna @rebeccafabunmi_ @kingdukeee #stephentayo
A post shared by Stephen Tayo (@stephen.tayo) on
Photo by Joshua Kissi As mentioned in the previous post, part 2 of Black Photographers Exist, is my list of several dope Black photographer...
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| Left: Simone Biles via Vogue/Annie Leibovitz, Right Viola Davis via Vanity Fair/Dario Calmese |
Twitter/IG was in an uproar when Simone Biles graced the cover of the August 2020 issue of Vogue. This is a huge accomplishment for this renown African-American athlete to be featured in this legendary magazine. Even though this is a huge moment it was quickly shadowed by the criticism of the photographer, Annie Leibovitz. Leibovitz has been on Vogue's payroll as a photographer for years, however this controversy has exposed that she's not exactly fluent in making her dark skin subjects look beautiful. So the question aroused, why can't Vogue hire a Black Photographer that knows how to lit people with darker skin tones?
Prior to social media it was extremely hard for Black creatives especially Black photographers to get opportunities into these predominately White magazines. Tyler Mitchell became the first African-American photographer to shoot the cover of Vogue 2018 with Beyonce, in its 125 history. This opportunity came because allegedly she requested to have Tyler shoot the cover.
Shortly after the Simone Biles cover, Vanity Fair release its July/August 2020 Cover featuring actress Viola Davis. However this time, the cover was shot by an African American photographer, Dario Calmese. This was another first of a Black photographer to shoot the Vanity Fair cover in its 107-year history.
Let's digest this for a moment...two magazines that has a century worth of published issues are still having its first in regards to collaborating with Black photographers.
For the longest time people were requesting and arguing for more Black and POC faces on the covers of the magazines and models on the runway, however what go lost in this argument is those behind the scenes. For those that may not understand, this is an example of systemic racism and oppression.
In the aftermath of the George Floyd protests, companies and brands have been exposed for their performative ally-ship. In terms of the fashion industry for the past few years they have trotted BIPOC models in our faces via runways and campaigns, all the while the offices, staff and teams are majority White.
I personally never applauded a brand for putting two models of POC on their runway/campaigns because I knew these brands use our bodies as trends. Black people are not trends and more importantly Black people have been around for centuries as well. What really needs to be investigated is how in a matter of 100 plus years we're still having a first time using a Black photographer. Here's an answer, the usual gatekeepers are keeping us out.
Art Critic/Writer, Antwaun Sargent also answered this same question in the article "The New Black Vanguard’ heralds a change in fashion photography, and he said the following...
"I was like, ‘Well, you realize that you won’t get the job you want in criticism, so you have to invent your own.’ In some ways, that was part of the motivation of these young photographers. You talk to a lot of them, ‘I never thought I would do the cover of Vogue, or even shoot in Vogue,’ because there was this vise grip by basically old Life photographers, mostly male, Annie Leibovitz being the exception, who were contractually obligated to those platforms. And so when a lot of these guys go down with #MeToo — rightfully, might I add — it opens up space. It opens up opportunity for these mainstream magazines to bring in younger and new photographers.
The mainstream, because there’s a crisis, comes and calls them. It’s a course correction. Not because you’re kind of looking at your history, not because you ever thought that there were too many white voices in the room. You’re doing this because society, or the current culture has pushed you in this moment to do it. That just makes me highly distrustful of every institution."
Antwuan is right! The current culture is pushing those Black photographers and creatives who may never had a chance to be seen now. We're still reeling from the affect of the #MeToo movement and now we are now in civil unrest and this is bringing forth some awaken or a crisis clean up to throw Black photographers in the fold.
I'm will always be excited to see BIPOC win and see their talents used with integrity. However I do wonder why in this uprising the decision to a use Black creator seems more opportunistic.
What the #VogueChallenge has taught us that we are here, we've always been here. It shows the disparity of the Black talent that don't and will probably never get a chance to showcase their talent in a publication like Vogue. I'm pretty sure throughout the 100 and more years Black creatives has submitted resumes, pitches, portfolios for consideration and it mostly been ignored. As Anna Wintour admitted in a company-wide internal memo, "Vogue as not found enough ways to elevate and give space to black editors, writers, photographers, designers and other creators."
Stay tuned for part 2
Left: Simone Biles via Vogue/Annie Leibovitz, Right Viola Davis via Vanity Fair/Dario Calmese Twitter/IG was in an uproar when Simone Biles ...
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| Podcasts To Help Black & Brown Professionals Navigate Their Careers |
"Success is not a solo sport."- Minda Harts
As certain states are slowly began to open up, I think it's the best time to dust off the resumes, hone your skills and start marketing yourself to the possibility of a new job landscape.
The past few days the conversation of Black employees feeling safe and valued in the workplace has been a hot topic. A lot of companies now are implementing Diversity and Inclusion initiatives to make sure they hire more BIPOC.
To be reminded we're still in a pandemic and have been quarantining for several months. This has led to many being laid off or furloughed from their jobs. As of this week it was reported that over 1.5 million Americans filed for unemployment. This is shocking and scary times and this also equates to high uncertainty when it comes to the job market. However, I do think now that some companies are making a change in hiring and hopefully training us for success, we should also come prepared with skills and tools in our arsenal.
The below podcasts I listed below have episodes regarding sponsorship, mentorship, negotiation for a raise, dealing with microagressions, and how to network internally and externally.
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- Living Corporate
- Secure the Seat
- Black Women Talk Work
- Support Is Sexy
- Switch, Pivot or Quit
- High Key Woke
- The Deeper Than Work Podcast
- Trill MBA Show - The Career Management Podcast For Black Women
Honorable Mentions Episode:
Podcasts To Help Black & Brown Professionals Navigate Their Careers "Success is not a solo sport."- Minda Harts As certain sta...
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| Image via @temi.coker |
Happy Juneteenth!!!
If you're unfamiliar with Juneteenth, it's the oldest national celebrated commemoration of ending slavery in United States. Juneteenth is significant because it's the day when slaves founds out they had been free. As we know (or some of us) slavery impacted the United States and the effect of it is still felt to this day.
If you want to learn more in depth, I recommend you watch the below video by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture's Founding Director Lonnie Bunch III, who led a tour through the Slavery and Freedom exhibition.
and donate what you can. These organizations are founded a black man and/or woman who have recognize a need community in terms of being light to racial injustices, police violence and mental health.
- Black Lives Matter Global Movement.
- Color Of Change help people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us. They move decision-makers in corporations and government to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America.
- Until Freedom focuses on investing in those who are the most directly impacted by cyclical poverty, inequality, and state violence
- The Marsha P. Johnson Institute protects and defends the human rights of Black transgender people.
- BEAM: Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective mission is to remove the barriers that Black people experience getting access to or staying connected with emotional health care and healing.
- Campaign Zero Identifies the solutions, providing research & data to organizers and policymakers, advocating to end police violence nationwide.
- Colin Kaepernick Know Your Rights Camp's mission is to advance the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities through education, self-empowerment, mass-mobilization and the creation of new systems that elevate the next generation of change leaders.
black lives matter
- 10:07 PM
Happy Juneteenth! Here's Where To Go To Donate To Support Black Organizations
Image via @temi.coker Happy Juneteenth!!! If you're unfamiliar with Juneteenth, it's the oldest national celebrated commemoration of...
