SZA requested a black photographer for a magazine cover, got denied

[SEANGT 5,511]

36 minutes ago, GucciGa said:

Its not hyperbole. Its a legitimate  question. So are you saying that next cover she does she will be cool with an Asian or white photographer? Because she seems pretty passionate about giving black creative these opportunities. Should other magazines now be prepared to be called out if they do not give in to requests for creatives of a certain race (and that can include white people asking for a specific race too) 

Im trying to see things from both sides, which doesn't tend to happen often in these heated viral tweets. 

the fact that you would ask this question is implicitly racist and willfully ignorant. That's why people are giving you attitude. I'm not saying you're a bad or "racist person" but truly, some things we all do are racist, and it can help to reflect on that when it happens, like now.

[PEZ 6,346]

I think it's over-the-top to suggest that SZA will request only black photographers forever and ever for all eternity She brought up one instance in one tweet and some posters here are acting like segregation and discrimination will be enforced at all times evermore for all artists and shoots.

I can understand having a discussion over the nuances of equality vs. equity and equality of opportunity vs. equality of outcome but some of you are running too far too fast with your conclusions, IMO.

Also her intentions are pretty clear and decent here. She didn't ask for it because she hates whitey or anything, it was about uplifting fellow creatives not shutting them out

(And on a more vain note, I have a particular skin tone and I'd want someone who I trust to know how to properly handle it in production and post-production too That might not be part of why SZA asked for this, it might be purely about making an opportunity for a fellow creative, but it'd be on my mind, recalling the Simone Biles / Leibovitz shoot someone brought up earlier)

[ModernEcstasy 9,113]

I can see two sides to this situation.
If SZA requested a black photographer beforehand and was denied, then it is unacceptable! There are many black people who are able to do the job, so there is no reason to say no!

If she showed up to the shoot and made the request on the spot, then I can see why it’d be an issue (having to bring someone else in to do the job would be time consuming). 

If it was the first instance, then she should name and shame the magazine. 

[GucciGa 3,729]

19 minutes ago, SEANGT said:

the fact that you would ask this question is implicitly racist and willfully ignorant. That's why people are giving you attitude. I'm not saying you're a bad or "racist person" but truly, some things we all do are racist, and it can help to reflect on that when it happens, like now.

Well I disagree

[popatemyshart 94]

It’s idiotic to argue that a black artist doesn’t have the “right” to request equal opportunities for other black and POC artists and if you think so, you can frankly go f*ck your racist self. Who are you to say how she should act?

[Bradley 59,627]

It is one thing to create opportunities for diverse recruitment before the recruitment process, coming up with concrete plans to help better the situation, and another thing to actively replace someone else after they've been recruited just because the person is non-black.

Regardless of the actual race of the photographer, being white or POC, you can't just kick them out because you're unhappy about their skin colour. Diversity =/= undue replacements of non-POC people who have been recruited.

[Bradley 59,627]

4 hours ago, COOOK said:

It's about requesting opportunities for black people, opportunities which are often taken away from them just for being black

I am all for black people being recruited, but can we talk about whether such an act is ethical to the person being kicked out because of this demand?

[popatemyshart 94]

Lol not some of y’all creating a hypothetical situation where Sza is screwing over a (white) photographer. Where are you getting this from?

[GagaSine 7,464]

If you know anything about the history of photography you would understand why a black artist would want someone who understands how to properly light and shoot their skintone to take the job. 

Here is a hopefully illuminating interview with a black photographer.

https://www.anothermag.com/art-photography/12799/antwaun-sargent-joshua-kissi-in-conversation-just-pictures-exhibition-st-louis

"We know the history of how the technology of photography was made against representing Black skin in the right light – so when you are a Black photographer you have to figure out a way to move around that technology."

"When I first started photographing I found out there is a limitation to what our skin can look like based on the mechanics and tools of the camera. I began noticing, ‘oh, when I shoot Fujifilm black skin looks like this’, and ‘when I shoot on Sony it looks like this’. There’s all these different interpretations of how Black skin registers through the camera and it never felt like what I saw with my naked eye. So when I first started out I thought, ‘high contrast, low saturation’. That shows the richness of Black skin but in a way that’s more about how melanin registers. Over time, I recognised anti-Blackness’ main point of reference is our skin. That’s it. Our skin tones have been weaponised against us. So I wanted to start there to show the possibilities of what Black skin can look like in so many different ways – its richness, its intensity, its care. There’s so much nuance to Black skin that we’re not being granted."

It's the same issue with white make up artists who do not know how to properly do make up on darker skin tones. This is even an issue in tattooing where white tattoo artist do not know how to do colour tattoos on darker skin.

The point is the status quo does not challenge white creatives to learn how to work with non-white people, they just try to apply all the techniques they use on lighter skin tones to darker skin tones and it doesn't work. Obviously a black photographer is most likely going to have a better concept of photographing darker skin tones.

[slayo 7,664]

4 hours ago, AndiGaga said:

I dont get it. She wanted a black photographer just so his skin colour is black?

It’s about giving opportunities, jobs, and exposure to black creatives

[gumzy3000 7,510]

This is stupid. What if an Asian model said they only want Asian photographers or an Arab model wanted only Arab photographers? What if a half Nigerian and half Irish model wanted a white, Irish photographer only? 

I think its nice she wants to give spaces to black creators but I don't think this is the way to go about it. I can see discrimination being rampant on the justifications of "diversity". And yes, people who are not White can 100% be racist/discriminatory as well. 

[Guest]

I dont like the way she handled this. They cant just accept requests on the team to shoot, they already hired a photographer. So no theres nothing to "expose"

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Pennywise said:

Just came here to say that reverse racism does not exist, thank u 

I agreed about this but there's always a limit. No it's not right to tell someone white u dont wanna hire them because you are white. Progress shouldn't be about becoming mean to each other, the opposite, it should be about a sense of community, and fraternity as cheesy as it is. Doing things that are too extreme like this can cause more issues than solve them.... and in the end, u get a whole issue becoming a "joke" for non pocs 

[Squidward T 2,280]

Can you imagine if a white person requested only white photographers, the double standard is real

[Squidward T 2,280]

14 minutes ago, slayo said:

It’s about giving opportunities, jobs, and exposure to black creatives