Models

Joan Smalls Takes A Stand For Black Lives Matter, Will Donate 50% Of Her 2020 Earnings To BLM

By Donovan | June 11, 2020 0 Comments

UNITED STATES — Fashion model Joan Smalls has a message for the fashion industry and she’s putting her money where her mouth is:

With today’s announcement that the supermodel plans to donate 50% of her 2020 earnings to Black Lives Matter, the Puerto Rican and Black fashion model is among the first individuals within the industry to pledge a long-term financial commitment to the human rights movement. In a statement released on her Instagram this morning, she expressed the need for long-term change and accountability when it comes to racism and exclusivity in the industry. She shared a powerful message to her 3.4 million followers, one that was necessary in light of the current climate.

It was a powerful message, one she felt was necessary in light of the current climate. “When you see the world imploding you ask yourself ‘as an individual what can I do,’” said Smalls speaking over the phone to Vogue from Paris. “As models, we have this incredible platform where we can create awareness. I thought if I’m going to use it, I should do so with purpose and [focus] on giving back.”

Smalls was disappointed by the lack of action from brands in light of current events. After the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor anguished the nation, many fashion leaders remained silent on the issue of police brutality and racial injustice. “When you see an industry that you are part of not stand with you, it’s frustrating,” says Smalls. “This is a time when fashion should come together as a community and have our backs, yet it’s falling on deaf ears.” Moved to take action after a conversation with like-minded friends, Small felt a 50% donation was the logical next step. “So many people have suffered and died. Forget selling a product, this is about the core value of human beings,” she says. “At the end of the day, we should all want to do what is right for each other.”

Fashion’s silence may have something to do with the systemic racial inequalities it has yet to reckon with. After 13 years in the business, Smalls has seen the discrimination that happens first-hand. Though she’s now one of modeling’s top stars, she spent years having to convince magazines that she could carry the coveted solo stories that elevate a model to household name status. “I was fighting tooth and nail,” she says of her beginnings in the early aughts. “I would see my contemporaries getting those jobs left and right, but the few times I was able to, it was a battle. On the outside, it may have looked easy, but there were a lot of conversations convincing people to give me those opportunities. I had to [prove] that I can hold a story on my own and not share a page.” The reluctance of brands to book models of color for fear of alienating white consumers served as an additional hurdle. “I’ve been up for so many jobs where I was turned down because the client said we’re not ready to go in that direction,” says Smalls. “Which means they’re not ready to shoot a black girl. I’ve heard those conversations and seen the emails from companies saying, “Yeah, we don’t need any more black girls; that position has been filled’.”

Compared to the rapid ascent of white models in the mid-aughts, many of whom moved from making their first runway appearance to landing prominent covers in quick succession, Smalls and other models of color faced an uphill battle. “You have the weight of representing a community,” she says. “You’re working twice as hard just to be seen as an equal so there is no room for mediocrity. I had to always make sure I was giving 120% because it wasn’t just on me. If you do something wrong, it reflects on all you represent. I felt that pressure, and it was limiting.”

Though she’s seen a marked improvement in runway inclusion over the last few years, Smalls feels that much needs to be done when it comes to diversity behind the scenes, both in the boardroom and on set. “[Change] is about having people in the room who look like me. So many times I’m the only person of color in the room, and if there is someone else, it’s an assistant, never someone in a position of power,” she says. “Fashion needs to open up and forget the existing hierarchies based on who has a relationship with who. All the politics of working within this industry need to be thrown out because they aren’t working. We can’t just go back to the way things used to be because it has never been fair.”

High profile donations have a way of encouraging others to do the same, though Smalls hopes her contribution can be more than monetary. She’s committed to putting in the work and is currently curating a list of creatives of color to help diversify brands and encourage her current clients to give back. “I hope people can reflect on what they can do besides making a social media post,” she says. “To be able to grow spiritually and mentally and know that I’ve made an impact in some small way is fulfilling. It’s important to give inspiration by example.”

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Photos Credit: Instagram Reproduction

Source: Vogue