>>> AND WELCOME BACK ON THIS
MONDAY MORNING
BEVERLY JOHNSON IS A SUPERMODEL,
A FASHION TRAIL BLAZER
SHE WAS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO
EVER APPEAR ON THE COVER OF
"VOGUE" BACK IN 1974, SHEINELLE.
>> AND LAST WEEK BEVERLY WROTE A
POWERFUL OP-ED CALLING FOR MORE
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN THE
FASHION WORLD AND URGING THE
INDUSTRY TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
WITHIN
BEVERLY JOINS US TO TALK ABOUT
THAT
GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> YOU LOOK ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS.
ALL RIGHT.
LET’S DIG IN HERE.
EARLIER THIS MONTH CONDE NAST
AND VOGUE EDITOR ANNA WINTOUR
SENT AN EMAIL APOLOGIZING.
AND YOUR OP-ED WAS A RESPONSE TO
THAT
WHAT FIRST WENT THROUGH YOUR
MIND WITH HER APOLOGY?
>> PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR
AN INTERVIEW, WHAT I FELT ABOUT
WHAT WAS GOING ON IN TODAY’S
TIME
PEOPLE ARE REALLY TAKING A LOOK
AT RACISM, SYSTEMIC RACISM IN
AMERICA.
AND WHEN I READ HER LETTER TO
HER BLACK EMPLOYEES, I FELT IT
WAS TIME FOR ME TO SPEAK OUT
AND SO THAT’S WHAT I DID
I WROTE AN OP-ED FOR "THE
WASHINGTON POST"
THERE WAS A WONDERFUL LADY I HAD
SAW ON TELEVISION THAT I SAID I
WANT HER TO HELP ME WRITE THIS
AND SO THAT’S WHAT I DID
I WROTE THE OP-ED AND I REALLY
WANTED TO ADDRESS NOT JUST MORE
MAKEUP ARTISTS AND MORE HAIR
STYLISTS, BUT ACTUALLY
STRUCTURAL CHANGE.
AND I DIDN’T THINK OF IT B MY
PARTNER CAME UP DO YOU KNOW THE
RUDY RULE IN NFL AND HOW THAT
USHERED IN BLACK COACHES
I THOUGHT, HOW WONDERFUL THAT
WOULD BE
IF IN THE BEDROOMOARD ROOM WHERE
POLICIES ARE MADE, THEY CAN DO A
MANDATE OF THE BEVERLY JOHNSON
RULE WHERE THEY WOULD INTERVIEW
AT LEAST TWO BLACK PROFESSIONALS
NOT JUST TO BE A MAKEUP ARTIST
AND PHOTOGRAPHER
THAT’S GREAT
BUT TO ACTUALLY GO WHERE POLICY
IS SET
AND THAT’S IN THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS.
THEN WE HAVE THE C-SUITE WHICH
IMPLEMENTS THOSE STRATEGIES AND
EXECUTIVES
AND YOU GO ALL THE WAY THROUGH
PHOTOGRAPHERS, TOP EDITORIAL
POSITIONS.
AND THAT’S A WAY TO UNDERSTAND
AND REALIZE REAL STRUCTURAL
CHANGE
>> WE REACHED OUT TO "VOGUE" FOR
COMMENT AND THEY HAVE GIVEN YOU
A QUOTE HERE
OR THEY RESPONDED.
THEY SAID ANNA AS BOTH EDITOR
AND CHIEF AND DIRECTOR OF CONDE
NAST HAS BEEN A CHAMPION OF
DIVERSITY.
WHILE WE’VE MADE PROGRESS OVER
THE YEARS, WE KNOW THERE’S MUCH
WORK TO BE DONE.
WE ARE WORKING ON ACTIVE
INITIATIVES TO ALLOW US TO
BETTER LEAD ON INCLUSION ACROSS
THE INDUSTRY
>> BEVERLY, YOU’RE SUCH A TRAIL
BLAZER FOR WOMEN IN FASHION AND
INDUSTRY
YOU’VE TALKED ABOUT FACING
RACISM IN THAT INDUSTRY.
HOW SO
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, JUST IN THE
WAY OF, YOU KNOW, DISPARITIES
AND EQUAL SALARIES
YOU KNOW, BEING PAID THE SAME AS
MY WHITE COLLEAGUE
BUT WHAT I REALLY WANT NOW WHICH
I UNDERSTAND 50 YEARS LATER THAT
IT’S REALLY HARD TO PUSH THE
ROCK UP THE HILL
AND THAT POWER FLOWS DOWN.
AND THAT I REALLY BELIEVE THAT,
YOU KNOW, ANNA AND I ARE ON THE
SAME PAGE AND IT’S WONDERFUL TO
HEAR THAT.
BUT IT REALLY -- IN ORDER TO
NOT, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT JUST LIP
SERVICE, THAT THERE HAS TO BE
SOME KIND OF MANDATE THAT THEY
CAN BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO
THEMSELVES OR TRANSPARENCY SINCE
THAT
REALLY TO ACTIVATE REAL
STRUCTURAL CHANGE, I BELIEVE,
THAT IT HAS TO COME FROM THE TOP
DOWN
YES.
SO --
>> GO AHEAD.
>> I WANT TO OFFER THE BEVERLY
JOHNSON RULE
AND I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW AT
"VOGUE" AND ALL OF THE CEOs --
IT’S EARLY IN THE MORNING.
CEOs IN THE FASHION AND BEAUTY
AND MEDIA INDUSTRY THAT I, YOU
KNOW, WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A
CONVERSATION ABOUT THE BEVERLY
JOHNSON RULE
BECAUSE WE’RE ON THE SAME PAGE
SHE WANTS TO HELP GET MORE
BLACKS AND ELEVATE MORE BLACK
PEOPLE IN POWERFUL POSITIONS IN
CONDE NAST AND I THINK THIS IS A
PERFECT RULE TO DO JUST THAT
>> DO YOU THINK REAL CHANGE CAN
HAPPEN NOW
I WAS REPORTING ON BURBERRY IN
2019, AT THE TIME THEY
APOLOGIZED
THEY’VE MOVED ON
AND AT THAT TIME I REMEMBER -- I
REPORTED IT ON THIS SHOW
IT WAS SUCH A BUZZ
DO YOU THINK NOW ACTUALLY IS THE
TIME WHERE WE’LL REALLY SEE
PEOPLE SITTING DOWN, YOU KNOW,
PEOPLE IN THE BOARDROOM MAKING
CHANGE
>> WELL, IF WE HAVE SOMEONE IN
THE BOARDROOM THAT LOOKS LIKE ME
MEANING THAT KNOWS THE BLACK
EXPERIENCE THAT ARE
PROFESSIONALS AND THAT REALLY
CAN KEEP THEM FROM MAKING THOSE
KIND OF FAUX PAS
I COULD SEE IT IN A BOARDROOM
NOW SAYING WE’RE GOING TO DO