We, as artists, as the collective entertainment industry, have one of the greatest responsibilities to be inclusive. We create advertisements and media content that are consumed by the masses. Simply put, representation matters. Not only among the talent and cast (in print, motion, media, fashion, etc.), but within crews, production teams, managerial positions, and corporate ownership. Ellen Pompeo said it well, “I want the world I work in to look like the world I live in. Right now, I don’t see enough color in this room. People like me in positions of power must be the ones to incite change.”

The frequent injustices POC and LBTGQ+ communities face offend all of us. That they are regular, normalized even, outrages my family, friends, clients, and colleagues. I too, as a young biracial woman, share their horror and frustration, and know the impact of current events is profound and will rightly be felt for a very long time. Not getting involved has not been an option available to me.

What Have I Done To Make A Difference?

• I have had difficult conversations with my friends and family

• I have spent many long hours educating myself and taking the time to politely educate others

• I have marched

• I have voted

• I support other black owned businesses

• I support LGBTQ+ businesses

• I take the time to give back to local high school cosmetology students of color. It is important to change our educational systems to offer more opportunities

• I do my very best to make sure the world I work in and the people I contract are a beautiful mix of colors, cultures, backgrounds, ethnicities, nationalities, genders, etc. because that’s the world we live in