On Black Beauty

Aside from obvious relief in learning that Naomi Campbell can be in the news these days for something other than accusations of bashing the help, why do I care about the above? I guess this whole issue of black models and the mighty odds stacked against them in the beauty/fashion business is one that's always irked me. I wrote a short story (unpublished) predicated upon it, in which a model in London heads US way because she believes she'll have slightly better chances there. A number of people questioned whether I was not simply scare-mongering; if things were really that bad. Things were that bad, I always replied. I was very much in the mindset of 90's UK in the story. Now Naomi confirms that, in the new millennium, things are just as they were, if not worse. Just as I suspected. The supermodel pointed out (in case we'd failed to notice) that black models who occasionally get featured in ad campaigns are more often than not the 'less ethnic', more racially neutral kind. Naomi is looking to set up agencies in places like Kenya and it seems like she will be paying more attention to the welfare of the black model from here on. Here's hoping Ms Campbell can stay on track with this, and keep out of the courtroom. Some things really should be beneath a perennial supermodel after all.