Women of Color at Hearst Magazines Are Vowing to Reclaim Women's History Month
Last year, Hearst Magazines launched several affinity groups in an effort to offer safe spaces and support for those who need it. Recently, the women of several of those groups—Hearst Black Culture, Latinx, and AAPI—came together to think about how we might want to celebrate Women's History Month.
But the more we talked, the more we realized there was one small problem. Most of us have never seen ourselves reflected in Women's History Month, which—whether it's on social media or in the press—more often than not focuses specifically on the history of white women, rarely exploring the nuances and layers of all women.
So we decided to do something about it. In early March, women of color from all departments across Hearst Magazines—from sales to editorial to video—came together to film a video reflecting on what Women's History Month means to them—and what we can do to make sure we are all represented.
"In media, we are storytellers, and we have to be cognizant of how we are telling stories," ELLE's supervising video producer Angel Lenise says in the clip. Ashley Mitchell, a senior manager of growth, adds: "Reclaiming the story is about being honest and being vulnerable—and letting people know that no story is the same."
Watch the full video above to hear more about how we're inserting ourselves into this narrative as storytellers and members of the media.
Of course, it's important to note that this was filmed before the world was forced to face a global pandemic unlike anything we've ever seen before. Still, as we're all social distancing from our homes, we felt it was important to keep the conversation going about representation for women of color in media and beyond. We hope you'll enjoy it—and feel encouraged to tell your own story.
Special thanks to to JVD Photography and makeup artist Glamorous Moments.
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