“We Have A Dream Speech” – Influencer Edition

Hello everyone! Today’s post is very different. It’s really not about fashion or travel but about a topic that has been spoken for quite some time among bloggers that had not been heard until recently. In light of Martin Luther King Day and his famous “I Have A Dream” speech, a few of my dear blogger babes decided to do a diversity shoot together to show how diversity is beautiful and how beautiful we are being different in race, age, height, and style. Due to illness, we are missing two bloggers in our photos one of which one is Caucasian and the other Indian. We are actually all friends and have supported each other as bloggers for over a year now! From left to right on the opening photo: Thrifsterchic, Me, Lulu with Grace, Vanessa in Dallas, Sassy Teacher Chic & Signing Steph. 

Last week, everyone was made aware of the lack of diversity in the blogging/influencing world. It sparked by the brand Revolve who did a PR trip #revolvearoundtheworld who posted several photos of their trip to Thailand with handpick influencers of Revolve. These photos sparked controversy because there was an obvious lack of diversity in the photo- women of color aka WOC! The photos sparked hundreds of comments and many WOC influencers speaking out about the problem. The problem does not lie with just Revolve, but with many brands lacking diversity whether not collaborating with WOC or collaborating with WOC, but not reposting the work of WOC on their social media pages. One thing that I feel needs clarification since not everyone saw Kyrzayda’s live post is women of color includes blacks, Latinas, Asians, and Indians and any race that has pigment in your skin. Black influencers are not the only ones that have been feeling left out or have been speaking out about the diversity issue. I personally have heard complaints from Asians, Latinas and even Caucasian influencers who don’t fit the mold of the type of influencers that are consistently being reposted. So below is my remake of part of the I Have a Dream speech using comments and quotes from different people who posted over the past week.

We Have A Dream Speech

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, WE still have a dream. A dream that can easily be an reality that doesn’t merely have to be just a dream.

WE have a dream that one day brands and influencer platforms will rise up and live out the true meaning of “DIVERSTIY” and recognize that all races, sizes & styles should be given equal opportunities and exposure.

WE have a dream that one day that no influencer will ever feel that they are not “white enough” to be considered for brand campaigns or we have to change our style and conform in hopes to get a regram!

WE have a dream that one day influencers of all races with followings of 2K, 10K and 50K+ will be able to sit down together at the table of these brand luncheons and together learn more about the brand and how we all can help promote them.

WE have a dream that influencers will one day be able to create in a nationwhere they will not be judged by the color of their skin or the number of their following but by the content that they create.

WE have a dream today!

WE have a dream that one day when we are invited to an event,we see our fellow WOC influencers in attendance as well so we can all enjoy each other’s company and learn from one another and possibly collaborate as the #GirlBosses that we are!

WE have a dream that one day, down in Texas, California, NY, Chicago, Canada and the UK, beautiful slender black influencers and beautiful curvy black influencers will be able to join hands, meetup, collaborate with beautiful slender white influencers and beautiful curvy white influencers together as one and squashing cliques amongst influencers!

WE have a dream today!

WE have a dream that one day RewardStyle will show how they embrace the diverse influencers that they accept in their platform by reflecting it also on their IG feed, newsletters and IG Takeovers on a regular, even basis! Influencers are not one color or have one style. There is a love for edgy, conservative, simple and colorful styles too!

This is our hope, and this is the dream that we can all go back to our homes with and see what we can do to make the dream a reality!

With this dream, everyone will be able to see all marginalized groups from around the world embraced and given the deserved social media exposure as everyone else. With this dream, we call all focus on supporting great content creators. With this dream, we will be able to work together, to collaborate together, to struggle together, to go to events together, to stand up on panels together, knowing that we are showing diversity.

And this will be the day — this will be the day when all brands and influencers will be able to sing with new meaning:

“99 problems but this lineup ain’t one!”  From every mountainside, let DIVERSITY ring!

And if the influencer world is to be a great & improve, this must become true.

And so let DIVERSITY ring from the from those beaches of Thailand.

Let DIVERSITY ring from fashion shows and events of New York Fashion Week.

Let DIVERSITY ring at the RewardStyle conferences held annually #rsthecon

Let DIVERSITY ring from the blogger meetups of Colorado.

Let DIVERSITY ring from the panel line ups of influencer conferences of California.

But not only that:

Let DIVERSITY ring from blogger events of Georgia.

Let DIVERSITY ring from fashion show events in New Jersey.

Let DIVERSITY ring from every brand and boutique of Miami.

From every mountainside, let DIVERSITY ring.

And when this happens, and when we allow DIVERSITY to ring, when we let it ring from every event and every blogger conference, from every brand luncheon and every blogger meetup, we will be able to speed up that day when we won’t have to read posts like these or see tears of hurt on Instastories or comments on photos of Instagram feeds.

DIVERSITY at last! DIVERSITY at last!

Let’s fix these problems so we can say: DIVERSITY at last!

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