Supermodel Joan Smalls is using her platform to call out discrimination in the fashion industry and the silence from some of its biggest denizens amid that Black Lives Matter protests that erupted after the police killing of George Floyd.
"This industry that profits from our black and brown bodies, our culture for constant inspiration, our music, and our images for their visuals have tiptoed around the issues. You are part of the cycle that perpetuates these conscious behaviors," Smalls said in an Instagram post on June 11. The same day she wrote a raw open letter to the industry that was published by Harper's Bazaar.
When people think of Smalls, they may think of her success. However, her career has come with its limitations. "I know I haven't gotten booked because the brand wasn't ready to go in that direction and a lot of the times they just figured that, you know, I wasn't part of the demographic they wanted to market to," according to the Puerto Rican model.
Smalls feels a lot of the industry is going through the motions because they have to but said true support means more than just checking off a box or posting a black square. "A lot of the times, it just doesn't feel as genuine, it just feels as a marketing strategy," she added.
Smalls is putting her money where her mouth is by pledging half of her earnings for the remainder of 2020 to Black Lives Matter organizations. She's making this possible through the launch of Donate My Wage -- a website designed to help people donate a portion of their wages to racial justice. The 11 organizations that can receive donations include Black Women's Blueprint, Black Visions Collective, BLD PWR, Color of Change, Equal Justice Initiative, Gideon's Army, Innocence Project, Know Your Rights Camp, The Marshall Project, Until Freedom, and the United Negro College Fund.
IMG Models is joining Smalls in her efforts to support BLM by donating a quarter of a million dollars.
"For them to back up something I truly believe in demonstrates that they're listening to us, that they actually want to move towards the right direction," the supermodel said. "I feel like when it comes to the fashion industry, they rely so much on Black culture that at a certain point in time we need to hear their voices and know that they're supporting us equally."
Now she hopes the brands she works with in the future will also join the movement. Along with her donation, Smalls is encouraging companies to hire more Black individuals and have more diverse perspectives.
