I'd only started noticing that something had gone wrong when I got a call from Naomi [Campbell], she called me and said, "You gotta do something about it, it's really bad, they're not using any models of color."
Bethann HardisonPeople weren't meaning to be racist, but they didn't know. Action signals change, not intent. So when someone feels like they're not getting a fair shake, you gotta speak on it.
Bethann HardisonThat's why Black Lives Matter thinks I'm so great. The fact of the matter is that everything is consciousness. This conversation is important.
Bethann HardisonActivism has to remain active. That's the trademark slogan and that's the mantra, because if your foot doesn't stay on the pedal, the car will stop.
Bethann HardisonThat decision to use basically all white models, reveals a trait that is unbecoming to modern society. It can no longer be accepted...
Bethann HardisonThat's a very privileged attitude and I think the ignorance is so strong there. When people say, "Oh please, I don't want to hear that conversation," it's because it makes them uncomfortable." But that's because they think it's all okay. If it was racist, I would move onto someone whose mind I could change, but it's mostly ignorance. So when someone says, "Oh, it doesn't matter," I not only make designers responsible but casting directors and modeling agencies for not pushing those other girls on to the designers.
Bethann Hardison