We Need To Address Systemic Racism Inside The Fashion Industry, Right Now

As Black Lives Matter protests continue to spread around the world, I have watched in awe at the outpouring of empathy in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. New hearts and minds have been won, new voices joined to the fight. But, inevitably, among the actions that have provided plenty of reason for hope, there have been brands and businesses whose expressions of solidarity feel performative and paper-thin. As I’ve watched the fashion industry voice its support for the struggle against racial injustice, as a mixed-race Black man who has worked within its power structures for years, I’ve felt the awakening of an unexpected personal pain. This strange new feeling is shaped by experiences where I was repeatedly exposed to anti-Black sentiment. Sometimes this was carefully disclosed; at other times, it was openly discussed. I am the product of a Black Ghanaian father and white English mother. I am a mixed-race Black male, which has made me part of a tiny non-white minority in fashion’s workplaces, as well as its shows and events. Despite my achievements, my ability, the talent attested to by my colleagues, none of it mattered. I was up against invisible barriers and obstructions. Racism stopped me dead in my tracks. Read more at Esquire.