Where's the Color?

Michelle Obama was a vision in white at last week’s inaugural balls in a dazzling off-the-shoulder gown by Taiwan-born Jason Wu, but one group is seeing red.

Amnau Eele, cofounder of the Black Artists Association has told Women’s Wear Daily that she intends to send the First Lady a letter of protest due to the exclusion of black designers and an appeal to have the first wardrobe become more “colorful”.

"It's fine and good if you want to be all 'Kumbaya' and 'We Are the World' by representing all different countries. But if you are going to have Isabel Toledo do the inauguration dress, and Jason Wu do the evening gown, why not have Kevan Hall, B Michael, Stephen Burrows or any of the other black designers do something too", Eele questioned.

Eele went on to say "seven slots to wear designer clothes. Why wasn't she wearing the clothes of a black designer? That was our moment." Obama wore pieces by mass retailer J. Crew, Jimmy Choo and Isabel Toledo.

Obama promised to move past race. And in these days of a post-racial society, such complaints seem odd and out of place. If the real goal of equality is to be blind to color, then isn’t forcing inclusion based on one’s skin color alone in fact…racist?

Comments

[Joe Moag]

Some people will NEVER, EVER get past identity politics. EVER.

Sad.

[Wyatt1969again]

I think you are just cranky Joe.

Sure - some Platonic idealisms are choppy at best - but really - I can't blame anyone for calling out their own people when said people didnt reject the fuel of essentialism which did in fact lend itself to the attainment of a Black President of these United States.

So - spanky cranky - chew on that.

(Wink and a half smile)

Wyatt

[oldkingtroll]

I, for one, would like to see Michelle Obama wearing something designed by Venus Williams.

[ED]

Who really cares what designer Michelle Obama decided to go with. Does it always have to be a black and white thing. What the First Lady did was go with who she chose to go with and I think in her years in the White House she will use various designers because she is a woman who has plenty of fashion sense. So wait and see I do believe that she will at times while in the White House go with Black Designers.........Ed

[FuzzyElf]

Wu, Choo, Crew, and Toledo? Gosh, it sounds like there's a little bit of "color" variety in her wardrobe sources. It's a shame, I think, that someone felt the need to complain about The Lack of Black when it seems to me there was some very obvious African influence in every single thing our First Lady wore -- the Lady herself! My goodness! And the carping about lack of black designers reminds me of working at our Gay and Lesbian Community Center and the occasion when race was the general topic for our monthly staff lunch. Our wonderful Mr. Flores explained that usually when "race" was discussed, it seemed to be always black and white, white and black ... and, being brown, he really felt left out. That was an eye-opening experience for me, and I remain grateful to him for that! Perhaps this lady could look within herself for some gratitude that Mrs. Obama apparently did not feel compelled or constrained by her "race" to choose only certain types (or colors) of designers. Perhaps -- just perhaps -- she could see it as a glimpse forward to a time when it's more likely someone's work would be considered on its own merits, or the chooser's own tastes, rather than on the color of the maker's skin. Maybe, if we squint, we can just make out a time when a person is judged by the quality of his character, rather than the color of his skin. Isn't that what Dr. King hoped for? It seems a long, painful crawl; but I believe we are making progress. One more thought, stolen from a t-shirt I saw long ago -- "One race: human."