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Gucci Hires Global Head Of Diversity After Blackface Controversy

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GUCCI-DAPPER DAN COLLECTION

Source: GUCCI / Ari Marcopoulos / GUCCI / Ari Marcopoulos

Gucci is making good on their promises after what is being called the biggest faux pas in the fashion industry. The retailer has appointed a new executive to ensure they do right by all cultures.

High Snobiety is reporting that the luxury brand has named Renée Tirado as their first-ever Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; previously she held the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer role for Major League Baseball. The announcement is a direct response to the now infamous blackface controversy in February where the Italian brand was selling a sweater with a roll up collar that evoked feelings of blackface.

In a statement obtained by The Independent Tirado expressed her enthusiasm at the opportunity. “I am in the business of making human connections that start with the foundations of inclusivity, respect, and diversity to ensure Gucci remains culturally relevant and economically competitive. I am honored to join a company that puts these non-negotiable values at the forefront of their business model, not as a ‘nice to have’ but as a key component of its business strategy.”

In addition to the appointment Gucci also implemented a diversity and inclusion program earlier this year that will help foster more diversity within their corporate team and hire more designers of color.

Photo: GUCCI / Ari Marcopoulos

Source: HipHopWired.com

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Jay-Z Wins Diversity Fight In Trademark Case

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Late last year, Jay-Z found himself in the middle of a trademark case involving the Roc Nation logo brought by the Iconix Brand. Hov noted that the arbitration panel didn’t feature one Black person and demanded diversity, which was granted to the business mogul and rapper in court recently.

Page Six reports:

The renowned rapper sued last year to stop the American Arbitration Association from resolving his dispute with the clothing company Iconix over trademark infringement claims related to his line of Roc Nation hats.

Jay-Z’s Manhattan Supreme Court suit claimed there was not a single black arbitrator on the national association’s “Large and Complex Cases” roster.

The group only has one Asian-American, one South Asian and one Latino representative, his suit charged.

The “99 Problems” singer and entrepreneur argued that minority business owners should be able to select from a group that “reflects the diverse population.”

Its lily-white membership deprived black litigants like Jay-Z of “the equal protection of the laws,” he said.

Jay-Z’s side is asking the judge overseeing the case to discontinue the matter after AAA offered up its Senior Vice President, who happens to be Black, to work as a mediator in the case. The group offered Jay-Z a choice of five Black candidates for its “Large and Complex Cases” division.

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Photo: Getty

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Issa Rae Inks Multi-Picture Production Deal With Columbia Pictures

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The Hollywood Chamber's 7th Annual State Of The Entertainment Industry Conference Presented By Variety

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Issa Rae has already captured the minds and eyes of audiences for her hilarious HBO series Insecure, and now she’s angling to become a major player in Hollywood. Rae recently inked a multi-picture production deal with Columbia Pictures which will give screenwriters of diverse backgrounds new opportunities.

Variety exclusively reports:

Issa Rae’s production company, ColorCreative, has signed a multi-picture production deal with Columbia Pictures. The pact is unique in that under the agreement, ColorCreative will work with and back projects from emerging, diverse screenwriters.

The move comes as the entertainment industry is under pressure to develop films and shows that feature underrepresented talent both in front of and behind the camera. There’s a lot of room for improvement. Films such as “Black Panther” and “Crazy Rich Asians” have demonstrated the commercial appeal of movies with minority leads, but they remain the exception, not the rule. A recent USC study found that only 29.3% of characters in the 100 top grossing movies of 2017 were from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.

Rae is best known for creating, co-writing, and starring in the HBO series “Insecure.” Selected participants, to be announced in the spring of 2019, will work with Rae and the studio to develop and write features based on their original ideas.

Just another bag secured for the talented Issa Rae.

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Photo: Getty

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Ex Facebook Employee Says Company “Has A Black People Problem”

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A former Black Facebook employee fired off a letter to staff that checked the company on its lack of diversity in its workforce. Mark Luckie, who was a manager for the social media giant, wrote in his memo that Facebook, in his words, has a “Black people problem.

CNBC reports:

Mark Luckie, who is black, said Facebook’s population of black employees is not representative of its black user base.

“There is often more diversity in Keynote presentations than the teams who present them,” Luckie wrote in the note, which he originally shared with Facebook employees on Nov. 8.

“In some buildings, there are more ‘Black Lives Matter’ posters than there are actual black people. Facebook can’t claim that it is connecting communities if those communities aren’t represented proportionately in its staffing.”

Luckie’s note provides an inside look at what it’s like to be black inside of Facebook, but it is not the first time Facebook’s lack of diversity has been exposed.

Luckie’s memo can be read in full by following this link.

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Photo: Getty

Source: HipHopWired.com

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