Racism and the Fashion Industry
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
In the past few weeks, one issue is shaking up the whole world - racism. The murder of George Floyd on May 25th, 2020, an African-American man, by a white police officer triggered a strong rise in the #blacklivesmatter movement with hundreds of thousands of protesters against police brutality and systematic racism across the world.
In the context of that, and due to the so many ways in which racism is embedded in the fashion system as well, there was simply no was not to talk about it.
In this episode, we address 4 questions:
Why #blacklivesmatter is the right phrase?
Why now?
What does this have to do with the fashion industry?
What can I do to help?
Sources used:
Locked-In Profits: The U.S. Prison Industry, By the Numbers
Racism is at the heart of fast fashion – it's time for change
Does fashion have a cultural appropriation problem?
Reformation founder apologises for workplace racism
On Racism, Fashion Must Do More Than Speak Up
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CBF8XgFoalS/?igshid=1dx5pt3xnrxmf
A few ideas on what to do:
Support
Sign petitions and donate to causes that are making a difference:
Make White Privilege and Systemic Racism a Compulsory Part of the British Education Course
Read
How to Be an Antiracist, Ibram X Kendi
Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People about Race, Reni Eddo-Lodge
White Fragility, Robin DiAngelo
White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color, Ruby Hamad
Listen
Dismantling White Fragility on Spotify
EXIT RACISM, Tupoka Ougette on Spotify
“Why I’m no longer talking to white people about race” — a Guardian podcast episode
Pod Save The People, a podcast
Watch
13th on Netflix
When They Say US on Netflix
Time: The Kalief Browder Story on Netflix
Dear White People on Netflix and Amazon Prime
Music credit
Wholesome by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5050-wholesome
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
