I MADE THE WASHINGTON POST!!!! But it’s bittersweet af. This was an amazing shoot with dope ass talent. Hair by D’angelo, makeup, interview AND CASTING by Sade and styling by Alexander all tagged in the first photo and NONE OF THESE people got paid. A Black woman’s labor was essentially stolen. I was also not credited in the piece nor were any of the other models and we were all casted for very specific reasons. We were all interviewed at length about what it meant to be highly visible Black folks of varying hues in our respective industries. This was a smart piece about diversity and inclusion and when it finally made it to the editing room floor it was reduced to 500 words by the photographer and no one else. This was part of a series in the Washington Post called “The Race Card”. And I know shit changes once higher ups get it and shit gets highly edited in film, print and digital content but it is ironic that in a piece that was originally supposed to be about diversity and inclusion a Black woman’s words were completely cut out and that she nor the BIPOC talent were paid. Sade has receipts, literal emails with Washington Post to be paid and what she was being hired for and last minute that changed and the editors deferred to the photographer, a Black man they said they paid and any further monies paid out should have come out of THAT budget. To this date neither Washington Post not Marc Baptist have paid Sade or other talent. They were also not credited and Sade casted, interviewed the models AND did ALL THE MAKEUP! Listen, I had a great time being photographed, Marc is an amazing talent and a hoot. I am proud of the photos but not so much that I would share them without acknowledging the theft of a Black woman’s labor especially in a piece about EQUITY because anyone who knows me knows I stand on the right side of fair pay for Black women and femmes but I guess other folks wouldn’t because they cut all my damn commentary and words out the piece and reduced me and these other fabulous folks down to nothing but nameless faces of varied complexions. How ironic is that?
#mamatanya
#payblackwomen
#believeblackwomen
#blackwomenmatter
