It’s undeniable that there’s quite a bit going on with race relations and injustices in America right now. It was only this weekend that Usher wore a ‘Juneteenth’ tee at the Essence Music Festival and asked “Have we truly achieved our independence?” Well it seems that on Twitter, a social media celebrity was taking beauty bloggers to task for not being as vocal.
Luvvie Ajayi is known for her stern reads and epic rants dispersed through her websites and dispatched in parts through her Twitter feed — soon she’ll have a book to deliver the tea called “I’m Judging You.” Last week the subject of her latest rant was quite surprising: black beauty bloggers. She started things off with:
Black beauty bloggers, I know yall have "brands" but so many of you have kept on like ain't shit happening but makeup. You cute, doe.
— Awesomely Luvvie (@Luvvie) July 1, 2015
Of course, that was only the beginning. What followed was the Twitter star taking bloggers to task for staying silent a time when the community needs as many voices as possible and all for money. She fired off a few resounding dispatches:
Bloggers who are afraid to speak up for fear of losing ad dollars. Companies who would get offended aren't the ones giving you $ ANYWAY.
— Awesomely Luvvie (@Luvvie) July 1, 2015
You're going after multicultural brand dollars but won't say nothing as the people you "target" are being targeted in the streets. Ok den.
— Awesomely Luvvie (@Luvvie) July 1, 2015
You can read the full thing in order as it was archived by Luvvie herself. But of course, this wouldn’t be the internet if her critique didn’t come with a critique of it’s own. Gina McCauly of What About Our Daughters took up the mantle, criticizing Ajayi’s assessment saying “This is about attempting to dictate how Black women must grieve in public. Not even our sorrow belongs to us.”
McCauly explained: “Black women and girls have a right to have spaces where they can be carefree, flighty, flaky, frivolous, and funny. Occasionally we need a break. For some people, that’s a beauty blog.”
What do you think? Being fashion/beauty bloggers/journalists here at The Fashion Bomb, we think it’s a pretty interesting conversation. We definitely are advocates of covering diversity issues — we’re really predicated on the idea — and see where Luvvie is coming from.
I personally am a little conflicted on the issue. When I marched in New York’s Millions March and brought photographer Karl Pierre along to capture images, I was accused of doing so for a photo op, and questioned on my choice of attire.
When I suggested a Served Fresh t-shirt acknowledging reckless killings for Bomb Product of the Day, many on Instagram shamed Served Fresh for ‘profiting off of pain.’
Even when I sussed out a fashion moment from Solange Knowles, when she protested Trayvon Martin’s wrongful death, I was lambasted for not focusing on the main issue at hand.
I’ve actually been so criticized for attempting to stay on the style topic while showing awareness of current events, that I’ve concluded that fashion, style, and intensely charged political issues don’t mix. So if I march, I march without a camera man or a blog post. If I support, I do so in silence because I feel anything else will be seen as frivolous. And because fashion is, at its core, 100% frivolous, I’ve concluded that perhaps these issues don’t have a place on a fashion blog.
What do you think? Should fashion and beauty bloggers stick to their lipsticks and clothes or should they use the enormous platforms they’ve garnered in even the smallest of ways to support their communities?
And if so, how?
Do whatever makes you feel better. Don’t worry about the naysayers because there will always be a hater. Just be happy.
I love that you’ve made this a post, very thought provoking and I always appreciate how transparent you are Claire. I agree with Gina McCauly.
I agree with Luvvie. I think you have provided a great example of how to do it as well. Every issue that has come up in the Black community has been covered on FBD in a way that doesn’t feel “off brand” or out of place. People act like Luvvie asked folks to join the Black Liberation Army and take up arms to storm the White House. All she said was SAY SOMETHING! Damn.
I personally dont need a break from black issues in the form of blogs. Use your platform and your voice. Be heard.
Do whatever makes you feel better. Don’t worry about the naysayers because there will always be a hater. Just be happy. People ought to take responsibility for themselves, choose to be enlightened. Read the news. Get on the internet. Get involved on your own and don’t be a puppet.
I say stick to fashion… Leave the political issues out the fashion blogs. Fashion and politics are two separate entities
Do what you feel. If you chose to speak it should be from the heart. If you want to take a picture or a photographer when you do then do it.
Great topic for discussion. And I completely agree with McCauly. We need a place to rest. I literally go to FBD when I’ve had enough of the Facebook debates.
And we (black people) are still our worst critics. Claire, I don’t know how you do it, because I see people coming after you when you are clearly not the threat.
I’ll go a step further to say, I don’t like reading about racially-charged issues in the fashion world. I know there are a lot of problems there, but like they say on the internet “don’t feed the trolls.” Some of these fashion mavens just get tickled by poking the black community. I say let them bullsh*t and let’s continue doing our own thing. Let’s continue to lift up our own, black bloggers, black designers, black models, etc. while ignoring those who obviously want nothing to do with us. F*ck ’em, to put it bluntly.
What about sponsoring events that focus on community issues? You’re demonstrating an awareness without alienating anyone… Just a thought.
I come to FB to get away from my work day and newsfeed and I do appreciate fashion related diversity news and the spotlight on black designers.
However,if there was no mention of black issues on the site I’d be a little disappointed. Maybe because you, Claire, are much of the site and we like you. Does that make sense? And as a black woman we think YOU should care and care enough to use your platform to say something.
In short, just as long as the content is authentic and appropriate it’s all good.
I appreciate your stance, Claire. You’re running a fashion/beauty blog, end of story. There are issues within the fashion community that are race-related that you’ve discussed in the past, so I don’t think you’re shirking the issues.
At the end of the day, you can only do what you can do and leave others to do the same.
Claire stay true to you. You’ve done a great job with the way you have gone about tackling these issues. Everyone has an opinion. This site is successful because of you. PLEASE DON’T CHANGE.
Sometimes it is okay to break from regular programing. The notion that we should refrain from using our individual platforms to address issues that affect the collective community is often seen as a conundrum, but it really isn’t. Some of the most notable musicians, actors, poets, fashion designers, and other creative minds have used their access to decry acts of war and injustices for centuries. The only thing that matters is that the sense of obligation to aid a greater cause must come from within. For example, let’s take the civil rights movement. Many people at that time elected not to participate, and they too were accused of not helping to further the cause. But the desire to act is an individual choice that no one should be bullied into. Thus, FBD is your platform and megaphone, and it is up to you how you would like to add to the movement. Just know that critics wait on either side of the issue… history shows it comes with the territory.
I’ve actually always appreciated it when you brought an issue to light. Criticism is only words, and everyone has the freedom to skip the posts they’re not interested to engage. Fashion=consumerism and money=power. There are many ways to be political, and our dollar is one of them. There’s nothing pretty about not knowing you have a choice to give your money to someone who’ll turn around and use it to actively advocate against your interests (Anthropologie/Urban Outfitters, Forever 21, WalMart and all the other business run by arch conservatives) versus being able to proudly spend it within your community, with your neighbor, or simply with someone like, say, Kenneth Cole who puts his politics where his money is.
This is a great topic & I agree with Georgia! I think you have to do what you think is best. But you must always keep in mind that while fashion is an ‘escape’, it is also a direct reflection of what is going on in the world. In a sense, we wear our feelings. The fashion industry is also a reflection of what’s happening in the world. You just have to look closer.