De'Von Christopher Johnson

For hundreds of years, white power structures in America have used black faces to mask their often racist agendas. The music, fashion, and other media industries are prime examples of the exploitation of black culture and figures for white dollars. In light of the rising Black Lives Matter movement, plenty of predominantly white-owned businesses have made empty promises and hoped to silence the outrage with symbolic victories.

Last September, my Instagram feed was filled with this collage of beautiful black women on the covers of various print media outlets. However, I immediately noticed a clear and apparent flaw: Only one of the magazines were actually owned and run by a person of color (Essence). The rest, contrary to the unsolicited praise and worship they received, have historically not embraced black women’s beauty and influence on fashion. I was furious.

Fine-tune your media, marketing and technology strategies at the Convergent TV Summit on October 25 with expert insights and strategies from the pros. Register now to save 35% on your pass. Last September, my Instagram feed was filled with this collage of beautiful black women on the covers of various print media outlets. However, I immediately noticed a clear and apparent flaw: Only one of the magazines were actually owned and run by a person of color (Essence).