The Invisible Black Body

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Abstract

The fashion industry sets the tone for what is to be culturally tolerated both domestically and around the world. Yet efforts to increase black representation in fashion have focused almost exclusively on diversity in modeling. I argue for the rhetorical significance of black representation behindthe camera, and in other positions not visible to the public eye, through an analysis of Vogue magazine’s decision to hire a black artist to photograph Beyoncé for their September 2018 cover for the first time. Drawing from the conceptual arguments of both pop cultural commentators and rhetorical theory, I make three conclusions: first, black artistic eyes are better suited to depict of black subjects; second, representation efforts focused exclusively in modeling indicate an ongoing prioritization of the black body over the black mind; third, a more richly integrated society would normalize the unconscious assumption that even those creatives and leaders working behind the scenes might be black. As we seek equality and inclusion, the invisible intellectual black figure—such as the black photographer—and its existence in the imagination are absolutely vital for both the immediate, tangible implications as well as the effects upon the unconscious but widely held conception of black Americans.

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Research Articles

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APA