Naomi Campbell on racism in fashion
Ah. So basically Naomi Campbell discussed how institutional racism impacts the fashion industry and the White male interviewer wanted it to be about her personal âangerâ in incidents unrelated to fashion. Naomi Campbell discussed her passion about making the industry diverse and the White male interviewer wanted to parse âgoodâ angry versus âbadâ angry. Naomi Campbell discussed how there is a systemic issue in the industry and the White male interviewer wanted to discuss how Naomi herself, individually succeeded so doesnât that exceptionalism prove that racism in the industry isnât an issue? Ugh.
They literally are operating from different frames of thought; hers shaped by reality of what she sees and documents (with actual numbers in some instances) and his based on White male privilege and individualism fostered by both exceptionalism and stereotypes, which will never speak to systemic issues.
This interview is a microcosm of what it is like to confront White privilege, racism and White supremacy on any issue. Even those who want to âfind outâ more and may even compliment us often cannot think past their own privilege. One of the key problems involved in thinking shaped by White privilege is the role individualism plays, intellectually. To them, everything at worst falls under a negative stereotype and at best can be summarized by positive exceptionalism. NEITHER of these speak to institutional, structural and systemic issues of racism.
Oh and notice how she parsed racism here. As the act that the people who work for the designers engaged in, not whether or not the designers or their people are âracist.â This is important. Because Whites love to escape âracistâ as a label. Okay, fine. Letâs talk about what they DID and SAID, and intent is irrelevant, as she mentioned they may not âknowâ what they did with their casting etc. Her own words reveal the chasm between the way they thinkâŠ
Iâm not here to talk about me, Iâm here to talk about balanced diversity.
Iâm not angry. And I donât like the thing of the âangry Black womanâ either; this is not what this is about.Â
We feel passionate. Feeling passion about something doesnât mean you have to be angry.
sugurugetos
stormborns
snowghoul
yousharknotpass
