SUMMER 2020 1 VIM
BLACK LIVES MATTER 2 VIM
INFORMATIVE
6.
BLACK QUEER CONTRIBUTION TO PRIDE AND OTHER LGBTQ+ ISSUES
8.
HISTORY LESSON: THREE WOMEN ACTIVISTS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IF YOU DON’T ALREADY
10. 13. 14. MSU STUDENTS
16. 18.
OPINION
20.
SNAPSHOTS
22.
DEFINING THE MOVEMENT
EVERYDAY EQUALITY: THE FENTY BEAUTY REVOLUTION
FROM CORNROWS TO FAKE TANS
LISTEN & UNDERSTAND
CELEBRATING BLACK EXCELLENCE: TODJANAE JONES
THE FASHION INDUSTRY’S EMPTY RESPONSE TO THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT
ROCHESTER, NY MAY 30 & JUNE 6 3 VIM
letter from the editors. 4 VIM
On February 26, 2012, Trayvon Martin was murdered. On August 9, 2014, Michael Brown was murdered. On August 24, 2019, Elijah McClain was murdered. On February 23, 2020, Ahmaud Arbery was murdered. On March 13, 2020, Breonna Taylor was murdered. On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was murdered. Unfortunately, there are countless others. These people were murdered as a result of racial injustice. Our organization understands that, although MSU prides itself on being a diverse community, racism and biases still plague our campus. VIM is looking to be a part of the change and not the problem. The purpose of this issue is to educate our readers on Black perspectives in our community. VIM encourages all of our readers to learn,
grow and form knowledgeable opinions on topics of injustice. All lives should matter, but all lives can’t matter until Black lives matter. We have witnessed many fashion organizations fail to create a diverse platform. VIM will use our platform to give a voice to Black artists, designers, models and photographers that have not been heard. We created a more detailed plan to promote inclusivity in our official statement, which you can find on our social media pages. VIM will be supporting inclusivity--not just now, but at all times going forward. We will not be turning a blind eye to the issues students in our school and our own organization face each day. In solidarity, &
5 VIM
BLACK QUEER
CONTRIBUTION TO PRIDE AND OTHER LGBTQ+ ISSUES By: Catherine Davis Catherine is a senior majoring in Information Science and Psychology. She has a passion for social justice and understanding people. She plans on pursuing a career in UX after she graduates.
It’s June 28, 1969. You order a drink at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich, New York, one of the very few bars that allowed the presence of queer individuals at the time. The bar is a hotspot for some of the most marginalized individuals in the queer community, consisting of queer individuals, transgender individuals, poor and homeless queer individuals, male prosititutes and drag queens. Suddenly, the police raid the bar. The police routinely raid the Stonewall Inn, as well as other gay bars, but this time is different. After the raid, a cop attempts to arrest a biracial butch lesbian and drag king, Stormé DeLarverie. DeLarverie resists the arrest and tries to escape and is struck in the head with a baton. In reaction, DeLarverie punches the cop and yells to the people around her, “Why don’t you guys do something?” It is said that 6 VIM
this altercation initiated the uprising at Stonewall, the event that resulted in the Pride Parades we know and celebrate today. The Queer Rights Movement would be nothing without the Black queer individuals who have been relentlessely fighting for gay rights for a century. Though initiatives to obtain queer rights originated before Stonewall, the uprising is seen as a critical turning point for the movement. One of the beloved figures of the Stonewall rebellion was Marsha “Pay It No Mind” Johnson, a gay, Black, gender-nonconforming drag queen who identified as a “transvestite” due to the word “transgender” not being in mainstream use during the time she lived. Marsha was very poor and struggled with homelessness and mental health issues, so she took part in sex work to make ends meet. Despite her struggles, she dedicated much of her time and energy to tirelessly advocating for gay rights and fighting against discriminatory policing. On June 28, Marsha rioted among many others, helping to flip over cars, throw stones
and bottles and scream for everyone to hear. The events that happened at Stonewall are so significant because it led to the creation of the Gay Liberation Front, a gay liberation movement that fought against the persecution of gay individuals, racism and capitalism. In 1970, GLF planned the first Pride in New York City on the anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, which resulted in Pride celebrations recurring each year afterwards. In 1983, Johnson and Rivera were banned from participating in the Pride Parades because the parade committees did not allow drag queens who were “giving them a bad name.” The two proudly marched to the front of the parade anyway and Johnson shouted at a reporter, “Darling, I want my gay rights now!” One of Johnson’s most notable contributions to queer rights
was helping to found the group Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) with her friend Sylvia Rivera, another influental drag queen of color who was a highly dedicated gay liberation activist and present at the Stonewall riots. STAR was created to provide housing to the homeless gay and transgender youth and was the first shelter for LGBT youth in North America. The shelter was also the first organization to have trans women of color leaders in America and was paid for entirely by Johnson and Sylvia’s money they earned from sex work. Johnson was also an AIDS activist and contributed to the group ACT UP, an organization dedicated to ending the AIDS crisis. It is said that Johnson and Sylvia had more plans to further advocate for queer rights and help homeless LGBT youth together, but Johnson’s body was tragically found floating in the Hudson River with a severe wound in the back of her head after a Pride Parade in 1992. The case was initially ruled a suicide, but was later reopened and ruled “undetermined” in 2012. There are numerous other Black queer individuals who have fought -- and continue to fight -- for queer rights. Some of these individuals include: Miss Major Griffin-Gracy: A Black transgender woman who was a leader in the Stonewall riots. In 1978, she began to organize community and grassroots movements such as food banks and assisting transgender women who were suffering with addiction, homelessness and incarceration.
Griffin-Gracy was a part of multiple HIV and AIDS organizations in the 1990s, and was a leader on the Transgender Variant Intersex Justice Project to help incarcerated transgender women of color. Her activism focuses on fighting against criminalization and police brutality, claiming that the prison industrial complex is the largest factor for transgender individuals being incarcerated at such alarmingly high rates. She uses a liberal feminist approach to advocate for trans women today. Audre Lorde: A Black lesbian writer, feminist, civil rights activist, poet and “warrior.” Lorde dedicated her poetry to topics such as feminism, lesbianism, civil rights, ageism, antiwar, and disability, and fought against sexism, racism, classism, heterosexism and homophobia. Lorde taught at multiple universities, helped found an organization that supported sexual abuse and intimate partner violence survivors and assisted in initiating an “Afro-German” movement in Germany. She also published many works of prose, some of her most famous being Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches, Zami: A New Spelling of My Name and The Black Unicorn. Her works were largely concerned with intersectionality, namely, the intersection between her Black, lesbian and woman identities, and how each identity informs her lived experience. Da’Shaun Harrison: A Black nonbinary abolitionist, community organizer and writer. In a few of their writings, Harrison discusses the problem with “pink capitalism” or “rainbow capitalism.” They write that rainbow capitalism is the phenomenon of large corporations putting up a facade of supporting LGBTQ causes with shallow social media posts and then continuing to profit from institutions that harm queer and Black individuals. Such institutions include private prisons
and slave labor. Harrison also stresses that LGBTQ issues and Black issues are intertwined (such as substance abuse being criminalized) and that this relationship is crucial and should not be ignored. Devin-Norelle: A Black nonbinary model, writer and trans advocate. Devin-Norelle emphasizes in their writings that the Black Lives Matter movement must include ALL Black lives, not just Black cisgender men, in order to succeed in making real and lasting social change. They posit that white supremacy is the root cause of systemic racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and toxic masculinity. They also claim that white supremacy is the product of attempting to oppress every kind of Black individual. Sources -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7jnzOMxb14 (The Stonewall You Know Is a Myth. And That’s O.K. | NYT Celebrating Pride - https://www.history.com/news/stonewall-riots-timeline (What Happened at the Stonewall Riots? A Timeline of the 1969 Uprising) - https://www.them.us/story/who-threw-the-first-brick-at-stonewall (When Remembering Stonewall, We Need To Listen to Those Who Were There) - https://www.them.us/story/this-year-pride-is-about-rebellion#intcid=recommendations_them-bottom-recirc_53d0e443f33f-493e-8e65-f82a37369e58_text2vec1 (Pride Is and Always Was About Rebellion, This Year More Than Ever) - https://dashaunharrison.com/oped-how-rainbow-capitalism-harms-the-origins-of-what-pride-is-about/ (How Rainbow Capitalism Harms the Origins of What Pride is About) - https://www.teenvogue.com/story/the-black-lives-mattermovement-must-include-trans-people (The Black Lives Matter Movement Must Include Trans People) - https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/30/nyregion/stormedelarverie-early-leader-in-the-gay-rights-movement-dies-at-93. html (Storme DeLarverie, Early Leader in the Gay Rights Movement, Dies at 93) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_riots (Stonewall Riots) -https://www.nswp.org/timeline/event/street-transvestite-action-revolutionaries-found-star-house (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries found STAR House) -https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/26/us/marsha-p-johnson-biography/index.html (Marsha P. Johnson, a black transgender woman, was a central figure in the gay liberation movement) -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_Liberation_Front (Gay Liberation Front) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Major_Griffin-Gracy (Miss Major Griffin-Gracy)
7 VIM
HISTORY LESSON 8 VIM
Three Women Activists You Should Know About if You Don’t Already By: Carly Komar Carly is currently a senior at MSU pursuing a degree in the Arts and Humanities. She is the Co-UX Director at VIM and has always dreamed of being a part of a club where collaboration and creativity can make the campus community better. And that is what VIM is!
ANGELA DAVIS “In a racist society it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.”
Wise words from Angela Davis: American political activist, philosopher, academic, Marxist feminist, and author. Just one of many quotes that reflect her role as an activist for civil rights and other social issues. Angela grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, a middleclass neighborhood nicknamed “Dynamite Hill,” due routine bombings of the predominantly Black community on behalf of the KKK. Davis’ mother, Sallye, was an elementary school teacher as well as an active member of the NAACP. Her mother later pursued a master’s degree at NYU, where Davis accompanied her as a teenager. Her father owned a service station. Davis studied philosophy at Brandeis University in Massachusetts and then went on to graduate school at the University of California-San Diego.
She was associated with many groups such as the Che-Lumumba Club,
an all-Black branch of the communist party as well as the Black Panthers. At 76 years old, Davis is currently a professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz. In response to George Floyd’s death, Davis observed, “We’ve never witnessed sustained demonstrations of this size that are so diverse. I think that is what is giving people a great deal of hope. Many people previously, in response to the slogan Black Lives Matter, asked: ‘But shouldn’t we really be saying all lives matter?’ They’re now finally getting it. That as long as black people continue to be treated in this way, as long as the violence of racism remains what it is, then no one is safe” (Lanre Bakare, The Guardian). Read Angela’s books: Angela Davis: An Autobiography (1974), Women, Race, and Class (1980), Women, Culture and Politics (1989), Are Prisons Obsolete? (2003), Abolition Democracy (2005), and The Meaning of Freedom (2012).
TONI MORRISON “In this country, American means white. Everybody else has to hyphenate.”
Chloe Anthony Woofard, better known as Toni Morrison, was born in Lorain, Ohio in 1931. Morrison was raised by a proud, passionate Midwestern family that “possessed an intense love of and appreciation for Black culture. Storytelling, songs, and folktales were a deeply formative part of her childhood,” (Encyclopedia Britannica). Morrison graduated from Howard University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and later Cornell University, where she received a Master’s Degree in American Literature. Morrison became a professor at Howard University and, after the birth of her second son, moved to New York to further her career. Starting as a senior editor for a textbook publisher, Morrison ultimately earned a position at Random House publishing. Morrison played a vital role in bringing Black literature into the mainstream. After getting up at 4 a.m. every morning before her two kids woke up, Morrison published her first novel, The Bluest Eye, in 1970. From novels and
essays to plays and children’s stories, Morrison went on to write over 50 books throughout her lifetime. A highly decorated author, Morrison made a habit of widely acclaimed writing. To name a few of her awards: a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988, a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012, an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Nonfiction and a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1992. Without a doubt, Morrison’s words have spoken great volumes and will continue to do so, especially at such crucial times in history. Read New York Public Library’s, “Where to Start with Toni Morrison” on a few of the 50 books she wrote.
GRACE LEE BOGGS “More evolutionary than revolutionary.”
These were some of Grace Lee Bogg’s last words to her friends when she passed away in her Detroit house at the age of 100 in 2015. Known for fighting for the Asian American Movement, Boggs was a respected author, philosopher, feminist and social activist. Boggs grew up in New York City, where she attended Barnard College at the young age of 16. By the age of 25, Boggs had a doctorate in philosophy from Bryn Mawr. Unfortunately, at the time, no one would hire a Chinese-American woman to teach ethics or political thought despite her impressive credentials. This only furthered Boggs’ contempt for unjust systems. In 1953, she moved to Detroit, where
she organized as a Johnsonite. The New Yorker described Johnsonites as activists who “worked in factories by day and debated theory at night.” Shortly after meeting her, Boggs’ husband, James “Jimmy” Boggs, joined the Johnsonite organization. Boggs was a disciplined activist attracted to having conversations and theorizing with groups of people. Boggs joked that the F.B.I. must have classified her as “Afro-Chinese” because her husband and closest friends were Black and she lived in a predominantly AfricanAmerican neighborhood. Boggs and her husband founded many spaces in Detroit including the Boggs Center, a facility for nurturing community leadership. They also started the Boggs School, with the mission of nurturing creative critical thinkers who contribute to the well-being of their communities. Later on, Boggs also founded “Detroit Summer,” a multi-racial, inter-generational collective in Detroit working to transform communities and individuals for the better. Read Grace’s books: The Next American Revolution (2011), Living for Change (1998), Conditions of Peace: An Inquiry: Security, Democracy, Ecology, Economics, Community (1991), State Capitalism and World Revolution (1986), Conversations in Maine: A New Edition (1978), Revolution and Evolution (1974), George Herbert Mead: Philosopher Of The Social Individual (1945) Sources https://www.biography.com/activist/angela-davis https://www. theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/15/angela-davis-on-georgefloyd-as-long-as-the-violence-of-racism-remains-no-one- is-safe https://www.britannica.com/biography/Toni-Morrison https:// www.nypl.org/blog/2017/02/15/where-start-toni-morrison https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toni_Morrison https://www. biography.com/writer/toni-morrison https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Grace_Lee_Boggs https://www.newyorker.com/news/ news-desk/postscript-grace-lee-boggs http://boggscenter.org/ http://www.boggsschool.org/grace-and-jimmy http://detroitsummer.blogspot.com/
9 VIM
DEFINING
THE MOVEMENT By: Bianca Bucholtz and Lucas Polack Bianca Bucholtz, a junior, is currently majoring in Public and Professional Writing with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. She hopes to pursue a career that focuses on amplifying the unheard voices and stories of marginalized people. She is beyond excited to be Co-Editing Director alongside Lucas this year at VIM! Lucas Polack is a third year student majoring in Public and Professional Writing. Among a screenwriter and music journalist, Lucas is proud to call himself a Co-Editing Director at VIM alongside Bianca. He is constantly amazed at the unique voices and diverse stories that fill VIM, which he has the privilege to edit.
In the last few weeks, millions of people have taken the streets to protest racial inequalities and show their support for racial equality. As directors and members of VIM Magazine, we stand with our peers in choosing to recognize the ways we need to change and work on being actively antiracist. While we understand that we have not experienced racism and our privilege has allowed us to benefit in ways many of our peers haven’t, we also understand we have a platform to share and educate others. As the current editing directors, we created a guide to define commonly misused or misunderstood terms and expressions surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement. 10 VIM
We hope to arm our readers with accurate information necessary to have productive and informed conversations. Throughout this article, we reference material or definitions by a variety of sources in an effort to provide the most educated and relevant connotations of these terms and expressions. Abolish the Police “Abolish the police” draws from the belief that, given a moldy wall in a house, the answer is not to paint over the mold but rebuild the wall completely. Advocates for this movement see racism as something inherent to modern law enforcement; something impossible to truly remedy from within. In accordance with systemic racism, “abolish the police” is an approach to reform that entails a complete upheaval of our current policing system and, most importantly, the implementation
of superior, community-oriented replacement. Ally Buildingallies.org defines 3 levels of allyship as being awareness, action and integration. In looking at these three levels of allyship and how they apply to the current movement, it is important for all to be aware that some people hold privileges over others due to systematic institutions that benefit people through the oppression of others based on race, gender, sexuality, class, ability, etc. By understanding and admitting these privileges, one can take action in making change and actively work to fix the oppression of others and fight the unjust systems in place so we
can integrate and grow together as a society. Anti-Racism Anti-Racism is the process of actively understanding racism embedded within our nation’s structures, policies and practices and actively working on changing that. Being actively anti-racist encourages a complete rejection of racism and discrimation and working on restarting and reintegrating society as a whole. It means taking that step in calling out racism wherever it is seen, regardless of the consequences. Being anti-racist is a conscious decision to dedicate every day to changing the way you think and how you react to racist structures and attitudes. BIPOC: An acronym equal parts essential to an inclusive discussion as it is telling of the BLM movement’s immense impact, BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, People of Color. Perhaps due to its seemingly overnight rise in popularity, BIPOC is widely used but yet to be widely understood. This term looks to encompass all non-white ethnicities by emphasizing the presence of Black people as well as Indigenous people in the discussion. BIPOC is a more formal, most preferred term when discussing non-white people. Black Trans Lives Matter: In recognizing why Black lives matter, it is important to understand that not all Black experiences are similar. Intersectionality allows us
to understand that a multitude of identities, such as gender and race, can overlap and put one at a greater disadvantage within society. The movement known as Black Trans Lives Matter grew in an effort to include those who are put in more danger because of their race and gender identity as well as draw attention to the 42 transgender individuals killed within 2019 and 2020, most of whom were Black transgender woman (HRC.org.) Defund the Police: Police reform is a question Americans can no longer afford to ignore, as demonstrated by only the most recent atrocities in law enforcement. Many have answered with the rally cry “defund the police,” a relatively moderate approach to change. Often misinterpreted as an effort to disband the police, “defund the police” actually demands the reallocation of government money in police budgeting. In other words: take from the militarygrade police equipment jar to fill the public health jar or the youth program jar, much like how it is allocated in suburbs. Equality: Equality is an ideal. By definition, ideals can only exist in a perfect world. It goes without saying this world is not that. In a perfect world, all lives truly do matter. But in this world -- and country in particular -- Black lives are taken, Black rights are denied, and Black movements are ignored under the guise of “all lives matter” -- a crooked twist of words that denies more equality than it promotes. All lives don’t matter unless Black lives do. Until then, equality remains a piein-the-sky ideal. Equity: “Something that is fair and just” is surprisingly not Dictionary.com’s definition of equality; it is their
definition of equity. While the two terms have identical long term goals, the way in which they execute that goal is drastically different. Equity is equality with consideration; fairness that doesn’t just promote equality but provides the tools needed to reach equality. More often than not, this translates to societal aid for those denied their right to a fair life by the very system responsible for ensuring such a life. Intersectionality: Oxford Dictionary defines intersectionality as the interconnected nature of social categories such as race, class, gender, sexuality, ability, age, etc. Intersectionality is the framework for understanding that people or groups of people can be and are often affected by multiple social categorizations. It takes into account individual experiences and identities and understands how they overlap and affect one’s privilege in society. For example, according to equalpay.com, while a white woman makes 82 cents to a man’s dollar, a Black woman only makes 62 cents. In this example, intersectionality creates an understanding as to how race and gender overlap to create a disadvantage for Black women. Microaggressions: In an interview with NPR, Kevin Nadal, a professor of psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, defines microaggressions as “the everyday, subtle, intentional — and oftentimes unintentional — interactions or behaviors that communicate some sort of bias 11 VIM
toward historically marginalized groups.” Some examples of microaggressions could include telling a person of color they “act white” or “speak normal.” Regardless of how they are phrased or what the situation is, most forms of microaggressions stem from the need to diminish the individual experiences of people of color and enforce the racism ingrained in our nation’s history. Non-Racism: While understanding why certain things are racist or participating in racist tendencies is a good start, it is nowhere near enough that needs to be done by every individual in order to create change. Being non-racist implies that while you don’t necessarily engage in being racist, you don’t actively work on stopping it. For example, being non-racist could mean that while you refrain from saying racist jokes, you might laugh at one someone else said or ignore telling them it was wrong to begin with. Performative Activism: In the literal sense, “performative” can be characterized by the performance of a social or cultural role (Merrien-Webster.) Recent weeks have shown a rise in performative activism, a form of activism that sprung from a desire to gain attention and fit a norm rather than show devotion to a cause. Many companies and individuals have used their platforms to post #BlackLivesMatter or a black square in an attempt to show their support for the BLM 12 VIM
movement, yet refuse to implement changes within their companies or personal lives that will actively benefit Black individuals. Systematic Racism: Both “systematic” and “systemic” are adjectives. However, the two words are not interchangeable. The more commonly used “systematic” refers to a methodical quality about a procedure; a method to a madness. Systemic racism is the more prevalent and detrimental of the two, but that’s not to diminish the cancerous impact of its counterpart. Systematic racism can describe a practice that is intentionally and methodically racist, anywhere from KKK terror tactics to employee/ customer discrimination. Systemic Racism: The lineage of the word “systemic” begins in the medical field, where it was used to describe an illness partial to no one organ but rather the body as a whole. Something inherent to and all-pervasive within a system can be “systemic.” This long-neglected word is now central in the Black Lives Matter conversation, as part of the phrase “systemic racism,” which angles racism as an illness embedded in the US government. As much is apparent in the disproportionate, mass incarceration of Black Americans -- incarceration is a process that involves all three branches of the government. White Privilege: In defining what white privilege is, it is necessary to understand what it is not. White privilege is not the suggestion that white people have not experienced struggles, set-backs, poverty, judgment or discrimination, but that those disadvantages were not a fault of our race. White privilege is the understanding that as white people, we have been given a built-in advantage
by not being discriminated against for the color of our skin and for this reason, we hold all the power and the better access to power, representation, resources, wealth and care than our non-white counterparts. Understanding white privilege allows us to understand why all people of color are inherently more likely to face set-backs and fall victim to injustices than us.
EVERYDAY EQUALITY: A short 3 years ago, it wasn’t unusual to look down the makeup aisle and see a limited range of shades and tones. A variety of pale, fair, beige and tan tones with occasional darker selections was common in the pre-Fenty era. Makeup brands such as Black Opal, which released in 1994, created products specifically for darker skin tones, but were not as well known or as available to the public as other companies that catered mostly to white skin tones. The lack of representation within the beauty industry has gone unnoticed to some due to blissful ignorance. However, this all changed in 2017 when Rihanna launched her Fenty Beauty collection which featured foundations
THE FENTY BEAUTY REVOLUTION By: Olivia Simone & Violet Wesenberg Olivia, a rising sophomore, is a marketing and journalism major who is also pursuing an entrepreneurship minor. Olivia has her own lifestyle and fashion blog, LIV in Style, that she loves to write on. Olivia enjoys shopping, eating sushi, and making Tik Toks in her free time. Violet Wesenberg is a senior neuroscience and psychology major. She plans to continue her education and attend graduate school to earn a PhD. in clinical psychology. In her free time, Violet enjoys doing yoga, painting, macrame, and writing.
and other makeup products with a variety of skin tones. From the fairest to the deepest shades and everything in between, Fenty Beauty’s 40 shade foundation and later 50 shade concealer collection have been revolutionary. This served as a wake up call for the entire beauty industry to diversify their products and be more inclusive. Since its release, beauty brands have changed their color ranges to match (or even attempt to out-do) Fenty Beauty. CoverGirl, Maybelline, Dior, Tarte and MAC Cosmetics are just a few of the makeup brands that have expanded their foundation ranges from 40 to even 60 different shades, following in Fenty Beauty’s footsteps. Rihanna became a pioneer in the beauty industry, creating not only foundations but concealers, contours
and powders that cater to every skin tone, giving representation to people of all ethnicities and races. The Fenty Beauty brand diligently amplifies voices and identities, bringing light to an issue that some may not be aware of. Brands such as Fenty Beauty and more, are headed towards a more widespread knowledge of this issue, creating an opportunity for conversations to happen on social media and in businesses that can lead to change. These brands express to individuals and other makeup companies that change isn’t just needed on a large scale; change is needed in our daily lives, even when walking through the makeup aisle at your local drugstore. 13 VIM
In the early 2010s, we saw a new “trend” take the world by storm. Boxer braids were introduced to mainstream white culture by female celebrities like the Kardashians. But they didn’t invent this style and were hardly the first to wear it. Boxer braids, formally identified as cornrows, are a traditional African hairstyle worn by both men and women.
FROM CORNROWS TO FAKE TANS #MyCultureIsNotATrend By: Elizabeth C. A. Brooks Elizabeth Brooks is a second-year student at MSU studying Arts & Humanities and Psychology. She is a proud trans woman and first-generation Afro-Latino. In the future, she hopes to found a non-profit organization that uses dance to help survivors of sexual violence overcome their trauma.
14 VIM 14 VIM
On several occasions, white people throughout the country have been criticized for wearing this hairstyle and other styles that have originated in Black communities. This is not simply an issue of not giving credit where credit is due, but just another example of cultural appropriation. The Cambridge Dictionary defines cultural appropriation as “the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect the culture.” This issue goes on beyond just hairstyles; we see it in clothing trends, music styles, and even the way people use language. Over the last few years, we’ve seen a growing number of non-Black individuals use Black Culture as a way to garner success and feel included in current and upcoming trends. However, no matter what the intention is behind them, it is inherently racist. Statements like “white girls do it better” can be seen all over social media with pictures of cis-gender, heterosexual white girls wearing clothing or hairstyles that have existed in Black culture well before celebrities like Kim K, Katy Perry or even James
Charles told them that these were quirky or exciting things to try out. When a person takes part in cultural appropriation, they are often doing it from a place of ignorance and fail to see the fault in their action despite being told what those faults may be.
“They just see it all over the media and want to partake,” said second-year student Aliyah Jordan. “I feel like people who do appropriate are ignorant on the topic, they just don’t understand the importance behind it and what it stands for.” This practice has become so ingrained in American culture, it is commonplace for existing staples of Black culture like cornrows, locs, baby hairs and slang to be rebranded as VSCO girl style or something that anyone who wants to set themselves apart can do. Harmful double standards can quickly develop from these ideas. One of the most common is in how language is used. It is common in 2020 to hear our favorite white celebrities use different slang terms when doing
interviews. It makes them seem retable and quirky. Yet when black people use these words in our everyday lives, we’re often met with resistance and told to “speak properly” or told we sound ghetto and uneducated. It’s important when talking about how people use a culture that isn’t their own to differentiate between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation. Cultural appreciation is the use of an outside culture while still respecting its origin and significance to those it belongs to. The line between these two things can be extremely thin at times. On one end, you could be spreading ideas of a culture to a group of people who have never experienced it before, while on the other, you could be incorrectly using a certain practice to represent something completely unrelated to it. This is a line we often see fashion designers tread sometimes less than gracefully. One example of this was when Marc Jacobs put his predominantly white models in multicolored wool dreadlocks. This was met with mixed responses. Some claimed that he was trying to emulate rave culture while others felt it was another example of black culture becoming fashionable when a non-black person passes it off as their artistic vision.
“I think it is not uncommon in pop culture for cultural appropriation to happen,” says MSU student Nyah Phillips. “Not only have people like Kim Kardashian and other celebrities
appropriated Black culture before, but worse, they never give credit to Black culture or whomever it came from.” When considering exploring a culture -- especially one of a group whose voice has been silenced for generations -- there are few things you should be sure to take into consideration. First, do research on the culture. Don’t just jump into something because it looks cool. Secondly, stay away from sacred practices (voodoo, hoodoo, santaria.) Finally, don’t stereotype. Make sure you’re following an authentic example of the style. The conversation of cultural appropriation is far from over. Especially in these turbulent times, it is important for everyone, whether you consider yourself an ally of movements like Black Lives Matter or just a supporter of the black diaspora, to realize that for a group that throughout history has had everything stripped from them, something as simple as a hairstyle or a choice in clothing holds a greater personal value than it may for other groups.
15 VIM
is 20 years old. He is from Portage, Michigan and is the president of Pi Kappa Alpha.
Our upbringings all look different. Some of us come from neighborhoods of affluence while others come from homes one fight away from tumbling down. Some of us come from a legacy of Spartans while others are the first to receive higher education within their family. Some attended high schools that embraced diversity and encouraged the teachings of all cultures in the classrooms while others learned nothing but what’s been known and celebrated throughout white history.
is 21 years old. She is from Detroit, Michigan and is the Director of Marketing for Women In Entrepreneurship.
What has been neglected and silenced, however, is Black history. In efforts to acknowledge, understand and amplify Black voices, VIM asked three MSU students for insight on what it means to be Black in America. We listened. By: Hunter Gadwell Hunter Gadwell is a sophomore at Michigan State studying journalism and Spanish. She enjoys sharing the stories of others in hopes of creating empathy through understanding. 16 VIM
With every listening ear comes a step closer to progress, a step closer to justice. Listen with the intent to understand and speak with the intent to educate. Do not aim to be blind to race, but rather to be respectful as it is one of the things that makes us who we are.
is 21 years old. He is from Belleville, Michigan and is a cornerback on the football team.
Describe a time where you were treated differently because of your race MARK WILLIAMS: If I could pick a specific occurrence that upset me (which has happened more than once), is getting kicked out of a party (not on this campus) even though all of my white friends were allowed to stay or were lost somewhere in the party. These incidents make it difficult to walk into a room filled with white people and not obsess over what they may be thinking about me in their heads. MI’ELE BOOKER: As I’ve gotten older, I’ve mainly experienced being told that I couldn’t do or be something, not because I was black, but because I have a darker complexion as a Black person. This is called colorism. It’s the discrimination of a skin complexion within a race. My most memorable experience of this was in middle school. A Black boy of lighter complexion had told me that he would date me if I had lighter skin. Many times after that, I heard “I don’t date dark skin girls” and “dark skin girls aren’t attractive” by other Black boys, even when we had the same dark complexion. DAVION WILLIAMS: A racist experience I’ve encountered was exiting my
car and being called a drug dealer by an older white lady because of the car I was driving. What changes do you want to see within MSU or society at large? MARK WILLIAMS: I would like to see MSU take disciplinary actions on students or organizations that exhibit discrimination or any type of racism. I would also like to see more resources invested in training required by all students on racial issues. Overall, I would like to be assured of a zerotolerance policy of any acts regarding racism. MI’ELE BOOKER: I want to see a change in education. I want to see more classes discussing racism, colorism, microaggressions, etc. The first time I experienced a successful discussion on microaggression was in college. Society should be treating these topics as more important than mathematics. Racism, colorism, sexism and all the different types of isms should be introduced in schools as early as possible. DAVION WILLIAMS: I wish for peace between Blacks and whites because no one should ever be hated because of the color of their skin. How do you want people to perceive you? MARK WILLIAMS: Equal. A role model. A leader in many communities.
MI’ELE BOOKER: I want to be perceived as someone who isn’t afraid to share their story and someone who will make their voice heard one way or another. I’ve been using different platforms to share my experiences in life, such as Instagram and YouTube. I believe being vulnerable, even with strangers, will bring so much good to the world because we would be learning from each other and realizing we’re not the only ones that have experienced something. DAVION WILLIAMS: I would like for people to see that as a young, Black male, I’m more than just an athlete. I’m a brother, an uncle, a son and a great friend. I want people to see me as a successful Black man proud to be in his own skin. For those failing to see the issues at hand or for those who identify the injustice but prefer not to take action, I challenge you. Listen to those who have endured racial injustice. Listen to those who have experienced police brutality. Listen to those who feel they are known more for their race than their individuality. Listen and understand. Peace will come, but first we must listen.
17 VIM
TODJANAE JONES 18 VIM
Celebrating
Black Excellence By: Alaina Agnello Alaina Agnello is a senior majoring in marketing and journalism. She is co-editor-in-chief of VIM and loves telling stories about individuals in her community. She plans to pursue a career in fashion and promote social change within the industry.
Most of us know what a typical Saturday morning looks like for a college student. A lot of it is spent watching the backs of our eyelids. Then, around ten o’clock... or eleven o’clock… or maybe even noon, we roll out of bed, down a cup of coffee and start our day. But Todjanae Jones is not your average MSU student. Jones, a junior marketing major, wakes up each Saturday at 7 a.m. Then she and her community service-based organization, On The Rise, spend the morning volunteering at different places within the greater Lansing community. “We always have fun and make the most of our experience,” Jones said. Jones completed over 35 hours of community service this year. “I’m always trying to make other people happy because that’s what makes me happy,”
“I like to be involved with MSU’s community because...there’s a lot of missing diversity on campus. So I try to aid in filling the gap for those types of things.” Jones has been a member of On The Rise since her first year at MSU. This year, she planned The Pink Project for the organization. This was a community service initiative that raised money for breast cancer research by pledging $1 for every individual that posted themselves wearing pink on social media for a day. Her peers in On The Rise recently appointed her president and community service chair of this organization.
“Many of our members recognize Toddy to be very organized with attention to detail and believe that those traits make her a true leader,” said former On The Rise vice president Jada Flowers. “Todjanae is a pleasure to have around and can be counted on in any capacity and role that she agrees to take on.” On The Rise is just one of Jones’ many accomplishments. Outside of the organization, she completed four internships for major organizations including the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings. This year, she was also admitted to the Broad College of Business and made the Dean’s List. Jones’ displays her passion for helping others outside of doing community service as well. She is a mentor for the Residential Business Community and tries to guide anyone who asks her for help. “I know I’m far from being super successful...but I want to make sure every step of the way,” Jones said. “If I learn something I feel is valuable, I can tell someone else that.” Jones said she would love to work in sports or tech, but she is open to working in many different industries. While she may not know exactly where her career will take her, she knows that her focus will be on helping others succeed. “I’ve been in so many programs that have helped me,” Jones said. “I want to be able to give back and say that I contributed my part to helping other kids be successful.” 19 VIM
THE FASHION INDUSTRY’S EMPTY RESPONSE TO THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT By: Baraka Macharia Baraka Macharia is a senior majoring in Advertising with a minor in Advertising Analytics. This year, he will be one of the three new fashion directors of VIM Magazine. As our social media feeds were flooded with black squares and motivational quotes, VIM questions the sincerity of this support. Over the past two and a half months, as much of the country has lived in quarantine, we’ve witnessed the violent loss of Black lives with disturbing frequency. Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Nina Pop, Tony McDade and countless other individuals have died at the hands of police brutality and white supremacy. These murders and the lack of justice for the victims and their families have sparked outrage as protesters have taken to the streets, demanding justice and the defunding of law enforcement across America. Those unable to join these protests due to the 20 VIM
coronavirus pandemic have taken to social media to spread awareness for the BLM movement. Posts feature Black businesses and brands to support, advice for protesters and educational material on anti-racism. The fashion industry, like many industries, was quick to join this social media rally to support the movement. Brands like Parade, Ganni, Collina Strada, ASAI and Lululemon have made social media statements and donations to various organizations. Meanwhile, publications like Dazed, Paper, Garage and Harper’s Bazaar are linking petitions and sharing information on how to contribute to the Black Lives Matter movement. Still, many people are unimpressed by the fashion industry’s barebone display of solidarity. While some companies were quick to take a stand, other companies have been criticized for hypocrisy regarding their toxic, racist workplace cultures. Retailer Anthropology, who posted a Maya Angelou quote with the hashtag #BlackoutTuesday, has been accused of training employees to use coded language for Black customers. Sustainable brand Reformation’s founder Yael Afalo publicly stepped down via a lengthy Instagram post after Black and other employees of color
revealed Afalo’s racist behavior that ran rampant within the company. The problem with these apologies is that they’re popping up every day with similar visual language and tone. These brands choose to voice their remorse and contrition through lengthy statements on Instagram that contrast the color of the words against the background of the minimalistic post. But given that all these posts are starting to blend, it’s clear that these brands are just caving to public pressure to speak up instead of addressing the actual problem at hand. If you love fashion, odds are you know who Anna Wintour is. Wintour is frequently regarded as the most powerful woman in the fashion industry. She’s been editor-in-chief of the fashion bible Vogue since 1988 and became artistic director of Condé Nast in 2013, giving her creative control of not just American Vogue but all Condé Nast publications. Recently, Wintour penned a company email in which she regretfully expressed that Vogue had not “found enough ways to elevate and give space to” Black creatives (Nathan, 2020). She promised immediate action to highlight the work of Black editors, photographers, writers and designers. “It can’t be easy to be a Black employee at Vogue, and there are too few of you,” Wintour wrote. “I know that it is not enough to say we will do better, but we will — and please know that I value your voices and
responses as we move forward.” She added that this historic moment for America should be “a time of listening, reflection, and humility for those of us in positions of privilege and authority” (Nathan, 2020).
for decades,” Rahim said. “They know what they are doing, fire them” (Rahim, 2020). Christie, who was a Digital Marketing & Sales Planner called working for Vogue the “most challenging and miserable time” of her career. She also noted how overqualified the Black employees were, while white employees relied on connections to get ahead. “My white counterparts had no prior relevant experiences, just nepotism” she tweeted, “Black employees were overqualified and underpaid” (Christie, 2020).
Honestly, this statement is fine, to the extent that superficial statements about racism and diversity are made in the fashion industry. However, there’s also a strange passiveness in the way Wintour addressed the issue. The words, “I know Vogue has not found enough ways to Former friend and colleague of elevate or give space” to Black Wintour, André Leon Talley also spoke people falls flat because Anna out against her statement during an Wintour is Vogue (Nathan, interview with Sandra Bernhard on 2020). It’s not a mystery why SiriusXM. “The statement came out of Vogue has failed to put only a a place of white privilege,” Talley said, handful of Black people on its “Dame Anna Wintour Both cover or why it took 30 years is a colonial broad. for Wintour to have a Black She’s a colonial dame” Vogue’s photographer shoot a cover for failures and (Sinha, 2020). the magazine in 2018 or why there are so few Black people successes In his recently-released are Anna’s working there. Both Vogue’s memoir, The Chiffon failures and successes are Trenches, Talley burden to Anna’s burden to bear because bear revealed in more she has spent decades carefully detail his experience constructing an environment at Vogue. After being that remained silent, passive, or replaced by YouTuber Liza Koshy on even in opposition to the issue of the 2018 Met Gala red carpet, Talley racial justice. who has over 40 years of experience in the fashion industry left Vogue Following Wintour’s email, altogether. “I am not sure Anna ever former Vogue employees Zara really wanted me to become something Rahim and Shelby Ivey Christie larger than the role she perceived for took to Twitter to discuss their me,” he said. “She compartmentalized experiences at the company. me as someone who served her as a trusted expert… (Talley, 2020)” Communications director Rahim stated that Vogue paid The problem with apologies like her $50,000 less than the woman Wintour’s email and social media who had filled her position statements from companies is that they previously — a white woman. come across as an insincere way to save “There are people who hold face during a time of public crisis. The these keys and have held them fact of the matter is that it took a global
pandemic and the continued violent deaths of Black people for the fashion industry to realize that non-white workers should be treated fairly. This is not news to anyone – or at least, it shouldn’t be. Despite major brands announcing sensitivity training or hiring white diversity chiefs, the fashion industry’s biggest names have shown that they are not truly invested in combating issues of racism as their priorities seem to be aligned with the optics of change and not actual change. So, what now? The events of the past couple of weeks have forced us to question all facets of our lives, from our jobs and our safety to how we are fighting racial injustices and where we are spending our money. If the fashion industry truly wants to take a stand against racism and support Black individuals, companies and publications cannot simply post a black square and a lengthy message about solidarity. What Black people and people of color need are real, noticeable change, and access to opportunities that are readily given to their white peers within this industry to move forward. Sources Christie. S. I. @bronze_bomshel. (2020, June 9). [Tweet; thumbnail link to article]. https://twitter.com/bronze_ bombSHEL/status/1270469180169621504?s=20 Nathan, S. (2020, June 12). Anna Wintour admits to ‘hurtful and intolerant’ behavior at Vogue. Retrieved June 20, 2020, from https://pagesix.com/2020/06/09/anna-wintour-admits-tohurtful-and-intolerant-behavior-at-vogue/ Rahim, Z. @ZaraRahim. (2020, June 9). [Tweet; thumbnail link to article]. Twitter.com. https://twitter.com/ZaraRahim/ status/1270457589642547202?s=20 Sinha, C. (2020, June 12). André Leon Talley on Anna Wintour: ‘She’s a Colonial Dame’. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https:// www.vulture.com/2020/06/andr-leon-talley-on-anna-wintourshes-a-colonial-dame.html Talley, A. L. (2020). XVI. In The chiffon trenches: A memoir (pp. 220-221). New York, NY: Ballantine Books.
21 VIM
ROCHESTER, MAY 30 & JU By: Emma Dowd
Emma is a rising senior studying photo She enjoys many different types of art drawing, painting and creative writing art to always be a big piece of her life.
22 VIM
, NY UNE 6
ojournalism. photography, - and plans for
23 VIM
24 VIM
25 VIM
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Alaina Agnello & Eve Voci ADVERTISING DIRECTORS Bella Jacks & Emma Rafferty ART DIRECTORS Lauren Johnson & Maddie Stoy BLOG DIRECTORS Sarah Rabaut & Kayla Donaldson COPY EDITING DIRECTORS Bianca Bucholtz & Lucas Polack CREATIVE DIRECTOR Maria Vitale CREATIVE BEAUTY DIRECTOR Olivia Simone EVENTS DIRECTORS Justin Zhang & Hallie Tsui DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Maisie Kern DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Olivia Planeuf FASHION DIRECTORS Savannah Adler, Haley Poag & Baraka Macharia FASHION RELATIONS DIRECTORS Ally Iverson & Lilly Soble FASHION RELATIONS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Kennedy Goudeseune FILM DIRECTOR Sara Seryani FILM ASSISTANT DIRECTORS Moises Garcia & Malia Athanasiou
26 VIM
GRAPHIC DESIGN DIRECTORS Mary Beth Flores & Hope Ann Flores HEALTH & BEAUTY DIRECTORS Steffany Kim & Maxine Osorio HEALTH & BEAUTY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Violet Wesenberg LIFESTYLE DIRECTORS Hunter Gadwell & Claire Ryan MARKETING DIRECTORS Alaina Warburton & Courtney Monge MARKETING ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Alexia Saucedo PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTORS Nicole Ma & Emma Dowd PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTORS Ri’an Jackson & Brianna Olszewsk SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTORS Mckenna Cameron & Patricia Udeozor-Nweke STUDENT RELATIONS DIRECTORS Brianna Elizalde & Tori Tullio UX DIRECTORS Carly Komar & Catherine Davis UX ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Nehareka Singh
ORGANIZATIONS
BOOKS
FILMS & TV
THE BAIL PROJECT BLACK ALLIANCE FOR JUST IMMIGRATION BLACK VISIONS ALLIANCE ANTIRACISM CENTER COLOR OF CHANGE COLORLINES THE CONCIOUS KID EQUAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE (EJI) FAMILIES BELONG TOGETHER JUSTICE LEAGUE NYC THE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE ON CIVIL & HUMAN RIGHT THE MOVEMENT FOR BLACK LIVES (M4BL) MPOWERCHANGE MIUSLIM GIRL NAACP NATIONAL DOMESTIC WORKERS ALLIANCE RAICES SHOWING UP FOR RACIAL JUSTICE (SURJ) SISTERSTRONG
BLACK FEMINIST THOUGHT HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACIST JUST MERCY SISTER OUTSIDER ME AND WHITE SUPREMECY THE BLUEST EYE THE FIRE NEXT TIME THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS
13TH AMERICAN SON THE HATE U GIVE DEAR WHITE PEOPLE JUST MERCY WHEN THEY SEE US BLINDSPOTTING THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION
1619 (NEW YORK TIMES) ABOUT RACE CODE SWITCH (NPR) SEEING WHITE POD SAVE THE PEOPLE (CROOKED MEDIA) POD FOR THE CAUSE (FROM THE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE ON CIVIL & HUMAN RIGHTS) INTERSECTIONALITY MATTERS! HOSTED BY KIMBERLÉ CRENSHAW FARE OF THE FREE CHILD
“THE 1619 PROJECT” “WHO GETS TO BE AFRAID IN AMERICA?” “THE INTERSECTIONALITY WARS” “WHERE DO I DONATE? WHY IS THE UPRISING VIOLENT? SHOULD I GO PROTEST?” “THE COMBAHEE RIVER COLLECTIVE STATEMENT” ”MY LIFE AS AN UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT” ”WHITE PRIVILEGE: UNPACKING THE INVISIBLE KNAPSACK
KALICU IWACU FOOD MARKET MONEYBALL SPORTSWEAR THE PRINTING KING COCOS OFF THE RACK THE SMOKE N’PIG WING HEAVEN SOUL NUTRITION MO WINGS 517 BBQ GREGORY’S SOUL FOOD
KRYSTAL’S KITCHEN SLEEPIN’ BEAUTY BAKERY TEFF-RIFIC ETHIOPIAN RESTAURANT KINGSTON KITCHEN GOODFELLA’S BAGEL DELI EVERYTHING IS CHEESECAKE THE BLACK BARN COMPANY 1991 COSMETICS SALT YOGA
FINGER LICKIN CHICKEN AND FISH BIG JOHN’S STEAK AND ONION JUST B YOGA ORACLE’S APOTHECARY GLOSSED BY TINK SMOOTHIE QUEEN JUICE NATION SHOPATLUXE MCALISTERS DEL
PODCASTS
ARTICLES TO READ
27 VIM
@VIMMSU
28 VIM