We unfortunately have to accept that we can’t wholly address this issue with just one article, and that we can’t completely decipher or even entirely address it all at once. But we can start by stating the obvious: racism is ravaging our society.
We’ve discussed the issue of race in the fashion industry numerous times; this is a fashion site after all. Yes, the lack of ethnic diversity in runway shows, editorials, advertisements, agency boards, and all other aspects of the industry is seriously problematic. And the system itself is no different, perhaps even the reason for this disappointing aspect. There’s an equally troublesome lack of diversity behind the scenes, too. But let’s take a step back from fashion for just a second. We probably wouldn’t be wrong by assuming that the fashion industry’s tumultuous relationship with race is the result of the systematic racism that’s dominated society over time.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you can see numerous examples of the systematic aspect of racism in just the past year. Aside from the most prominent headlines that have gotten the world’s attention, there are countless instances of beating, killing, unjust incarceration, unfair legal process, and other mistreatment of people of color, specifically black people, by police officers or government officials that take place on a disturbingly consistent basis. And the systematic part – the same factor that’s caused slavery, institutionalized segregation, and all of the other ugly examples throughout Western history – is what informs the everyday manifestation of racism. This is what allows specific pictures to be painted that relegate people of color to certain roles in comparison to their white counterparts. Take the recent case of the shooting in South Carolina: the media is quick to attribute a white criminal’s actions to mental illness instead of sheer terrorism. For one, this undermines actual mental illness, illustrating a certain state of being as something volatile and dangerous (though that’s a topic for another time). Meanwhile, this opens the door for the common characterization of a person of color who commits a crime as a “terrorist,” “thug,” or other automatic evil. Let’s go back less than two months ago, to where the protestors in Baltimore were instantly vilified. Can you really condemn a riot without understanding the conditions that give people no other choice but to act out? It’s impossible to deny either of these areas of racism, systematic and institutionalized or everyday. And it’s equally impossible to pretend that the Civil Rights movements of the mid-20th century ousted racism for good.
Do people really need to explain the reasoning for “Black Lives Matter” when various aspects of society have tried to make it seem as if they don’t matter? Or does there really have to be a huge debate surrounding the removal of the Confederate Flag, as if its history isn’t marinated in racism? We can’t keep making excuses or brushing things under the rug.
So what can be done? True, the entire system that’s been consistently enforced for what feels like eternity can’t be completely dismantled or even drastically changed overnight. But progress can be made. Let’s start by not having everything always be an argument. History and current events have mirrored the true fact that racism is real, so there’s no point in masking a racist act as something else. We can also change the dialogue; the everyday language and terminology just perpetuates the overbearing racism in society, and yes, that includes ignorant comments about a black woman’s hair or comparative judgments on complexion. Talking about a person of color as a character is dehumanizing, and it does nothing to help the way that major institutions continue to oppress them. Meanwhile, discussing the ways in which society has disadvantaged people of color is not “white-shaming” or the fictional “reverse racism” (seriously, stop saying that like it’s a thing). Above all, don’t just sit around and accept what’s so wrong with our society. If you’re in a category that’s been placed in a position of privilege, use that status to take a stand against injustice instead of just ignoring these issues. This is applicable to the issues surrounding race in the fashion industry, too.
Some of these things might seem obvious, while others could see this as confusing or infuriating. But what’s essential is that we can have an open, mature, and most importantly, civil discussion on various levels. It’s 2015. We shouldn’t be letting racial distinctions get in the way of someone living his or her life.