Where's the Color?
By: Gay.com
1.26.2009
Michelle Obama was a vision in white at last week’s
inaugural balls in a dazzling off-the-shoulder gown by Taiwan-born Jason Wu,
but one group is seeing red.
Amnau Eele, cofounder of the Black Artists Association has
told Women’s Wear Daily that she intends to send the First Lady a letter of
protest due to the exclusion of black designers and an appeal to have the first
wardrobe become more “colorful”.
"It's fine and good if you want to be all 'Kumbaya' and 'We Are the World'
by representing all different countries. But if you are going to have Isabel
Toledo do the inauguration dress, and Jason Wu do the evening gown, why not
have Kevan Hall, B Michael, Stephen Burrows or any of the other black designers
do something too", Eele questioned.
by representing all different countries. But if you are going to have Isabel
Toledo do the inauguration dress, and Jason Wu do the evening gown, why not
have Kevan Hall, B Michael, Stephen Burrows or any of the other black designers
do something too", Eele questioned.
Eele went on to say "seven slots to wear designer clothes. Why wasn't
she wearing the clothes of a black designer? That was our moment." Obama
wore pieces by mass retailer J. Crew, Jimmy Choo and Isabel Toledo.
Obama promised to move past race. And in these days of a post-racial
society, such complaints seem odd and out of place. If the real goal of
equality is to be blind to color, then isn’t forcing inclusion based on
one’s skin color alone in fact…racist?
