Just My Thought..."I AM THE NEW BLACK"

"AS FASHION WEEK IN NYC APPROACHES, I REFLECT BACK ON THE TIME DURING THE LATE '80'S AND EARLY '90'S WHEN THEIR WAS A STRONG PRESENCE OF BLACK FACES LIKE NAOMI, TYRA, VERONICA WEBB, ROSHUMBA, IMAN, BEVERLY JOHNSON , JASON OLIVE, TYSON AND SOOOOOO MANY MORE. BACK THEN WE RULED THE RUNWAY. NOW WE ONLY SEE A COUPLE MINORITIES SPRINKLED ABOUT ON THE RUNWAYS AND PAGES OF FASHION MAGAZINES. I WAS SITTING HERE WONDERING WHY DO "COLORED" MODELS GET SO PUMPED UP ABOUT FASHION WEEK WHEN ONLY A SELECT FEW WILL ACTUALLY GET BOOKED FOR A SHOW. AND ASIAN MODELS ARE IN A WORST PREDICAMENT.THINGS NEED TO CHANGE......WE MAKE UP MORE THAN 58% OF HIGH FASHION PURCHASES BUT WE ARE HARDLY REFLECTED IN THEIR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS AND ON THEIR RUNWAYS. I'M TIRED OF PEOPLE TELLING ME THAT I HAVE TOO MANY "COLORED" PEOPLE IN MY PORTFOLIO AND THAT I WON'T MAKE MONEY WITH SUCH STRONG BLACK PRESENCE IN MY WORK. I DON'T LIKE FEELING THE PRESSURE OF ERASING THE BLACK FACES FROM MY PORTFOLIO. WHEN I GO TO THE AGENCIES I AM ENCOURAGED AND PUSHED TO CHOOSE THE WHITE MODELS WHILE THE BLACK, HISPANIC AND ASIAN MODELS ARE OVER LOOKED. I AM A TALENTED ARTIST AND I FEEL LIKE IT SHOULDN'T MATTER WHAT COLOR THE MODEL IS IN MY WORK AS LONG AS THE WORK IS GOOD.THIS IS BIGGER THAN NY FASHION WEEK...THIS ULTIMATELY AFFECTS CHANGE FOR ALL OF US.THE FIRST STEP IS TO SAY SOMETHING....OPRAH WINFREY ONCE SAID ON HER SHOW THAT THE ONLY WAY THINGS WILL REALLY CHANGE IS WHEN PEOPLE WANT THEM TO. AS LONG AS WE DON'T SAY NOTHING ALL WE CAN CONTINUE TO EXPECT IS CRUMBS.....AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO FEELS LIKE THIS? I HOPE NOT.....WE SHALL SEE..." Tarrice Love (NYC Fashion Photograher)