Black Women: Mules of the World and Magic Makers

while i was attending miami swim week, a group of black models were turned away from a casting call. their treatment made me reflect on the backlash fohr card experienced for sharing some not so thoughtful advice to black and brown bloggers about how to get major campaigns (my response in the comments here) and revolve’s consistently all white-looking influencer campaigns. both situations reminded me that black women navigate lots of shit without much reprieve.

as zora neale hurston wrote in their eyes were watching god, “de nigger woman is de mule uh de world so far as ah can see.” translation: black women are the mules of the world.

growing up, i was convinced that i wasn’t pretty. i rarely saw women who looked like me in media and magazines, so my young mind was conditioned to believe that i wasn’t worthy. this belief influenced all my major decisions for years — when you believe you’re unworthy, you act like you’re unworthy.

the idea that black women are still denied opportunities across our society, not just in fashion, is infuriating given our tireless physical, emotional and mental labor.

black women: mules of the world and magic makers

don’t believe me? let’s start with this short list:

• slavery: hundreds of years of slavery, the building block of america’s wealth, was literally waged on black women’s backs.  we were raped for generations, and our bodies were used as breeding grounds to perpetuate the institution.
• democratic elections: a higher percentage of black women than white women voted for hillary clinton. let that sink in. remember that hotly contested alabama senate race when a trump supporter had a clear shot of being elected? black women rallied behind, doug jones, a virtually unknown and unimpressive democratic candidate to ensure his racist opponent didn’t win. the democratic party owes us a check.
• domestic workers and caretakers: my grandmother and her sisters were domestic workers, maintaining countless white families’ homes.  their emotional and physical labor was tireless, with little reward, including health insurance and retirement benefits. today, many of my peers back home are home health aides. they support disabled and elderly people, continuing the labor we’ve known to be our sacrifice for generations.
• administrative staff: when you go to work tomorrow, look around at your admin staff. chances are the majority of the people who make your building run, but are the lowest on the office hierarchy, are black women.

READ: Workplace Adornment: A Rebellious Black Girl Speaks

according to the american dream, if you work hard enough, you can have all this country has to offer. yet black women’s work does not absolve them from discrimination:

• why are you here? if i had a dollar for every time someone looked at me during swim week with very obvious questions on their minds, “who is she and why is she here?”i saw very few black women who attended the runway shows and almost no black-owned brands participated in the trade shows. some would say being the “only” isn’t a big deal, but microaggressions are real.  after the sports illustrated runway show, a white man approached me and bae and randomly asked the black artist’s name who performed during the show. the artist was justine skye, and he must have assumed all black folks know each other. i politely faked ignorance as we walked away. 
• white looking influencers given brand opportunities: there are black influencers killing the game right now. some of my favorites like asiyami gold, monroe steele, jen jean pierre, simply cyn, karen brit chick and others just aren’t getting the same opportunities as their white counterparts. they’re consistently churning out top quality content that’s packed with creative inspiration. despite this, when brands dish out 6-7 figure deals, you rarely see a black influencer in the mix. monroe steele talks about this in a recent blog post.
• we aren’t behind the scenes: the diversity problem doesn’t stop at models and influencers, but also includes those working behind the scenes in fashion. there’s no way h&m had a black person in an influential position when the company decided to dress a black child in a t-shirt reading “the coolest monkey in the jungle.” from creative directors to stylists to marketing executives, those calling the shots are mostly white and reinforcing their privilege and bias.

READ: The Latest Problem with the Fashion Industry

limited opportunities being given to black people in general, and black women specifically makes me pull an issa rae. “i’m rooting for everybody black.” trite, but true: standing together amplifies our voices.

just a few ways that i support black women are through my writing on this blog and in the public policy field, co-founding the black girls handgames project and joining the folks standing proudly with stacey abrams as she seeks to be elected the first black woman to govern any state in america. yes, i said any.

how about you? leave a comment below to share how you’re supporting black women (including yourself) to realize every single opportunity we deserve.

what i’m wearing

shirt | instant vintage 78 (sold out)

denim shorts | vintage (similar here)

shoes | zara (similar here)

necklace | vintage sold here