The recent loss of Black lives at the hands of the police has opened the door for many industries to have uncomfortable yet very real conversations about race.
Particularly in the entertainment industry, a community of Black women over the past few weeks have spoken out against the racist environments they were forced to leave. To address some of these issues head-on, Endeavor CMO Bozoma Saint John and best-selling author Luvvie Ajayi Jones created #ShareTheMicNow so that women in the industry can do just that––share the mic.
Last Wednesday, White A-listers including Kourtney Kardashian and Julia Roberts, gave their Instagram up to prominent Black women in the industry from Elaine Welteroth to Angelica Ross to Gia Peppers. “When the world listens to women, it listens to White women. For far too long, Black women’s voices have gone unheard,” reads the #ShareTheMicNow campaign statement on Instagram. For the group of more than 100 women, Instagram served as a safe space where Black lives were at the center of discussion.
Watch below as Bozoma Saint John and Luvvie Ajayi Jones talk about their #ShareTheMicNow initiative with ESSENCE Assistant Fashion Editor Nandi Howard.