The Anti-Blackness of Showing Up Unprepared
Women of color journalists rarely get the opportunity to conduct such an interview, much less do the absolute least
This article’s main purpose is a critique of the Vogue cover story about Rihanna, written by Abby Aguirre. And let’s be clear, I’m not a celebrity stan but a journalist who holds a degree in the field and many years and publications to back my experience. I am also a Black woman who is undoubtedly insulted that major publications continuously sidestep Black writers, as a whole.
I first learned of the cringe-worthy article by other Black women writers that I respect, Shanon Lee and Hunter Harris. I didn’t catch the buzz as quickly because I am based in China. I’m 12-hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time and as a writer who constantly has to be prepared to send pitches, edit content, reply to emails and be on top of when publications are putting out calls for submissions, I was up at a quarter to 3 am. And if it helps set the tone, I am also the mother of a 2.5-year-old, so I am also often sleep-deprived and yet still prepared because I have to be AT ALL TIMES!
Firstly, let me overstate that as a Black person there is an unspoken requirement for us to do shit on a certain level that goes above and beyond the constant mediocrity that…
